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Kilometre charge road transport: the changes as of 1st January 2018

As of 1st January 2018, the Kilometre Charge in Belgium will be adapted in four different fields. The regional governments in Belgium have decided to adapt the tariffs per kilometre in the three regions. Flanders and Wallonia will expand their network of paying toll roads. The three regional governments have added an additional category of trucks that will need to comply with the Kilometre Charge. Finally, they will also change the fines system.

These measures will take effect on 1st January 2018.

1. The road network

In its evaluation after 18 months of kilometre charge, the Flemish government has decided to add 157 kilometres of paying toll roads to the existing network. Wallonia is adding 4 kilometres to its network. Brussels changed nothing to the network as it has levied toll from the start of the Kilometre Charge onwards on all its roads and streets.

In Flanders and Wallonia, the following routes will be added:

Flanders

  • N14 from the intersection with the R16 (Lier) to the crossing with the E34 (Zoersel)
  • N35 from the intersection with the N43 (Deinze) to the crossing with the N37 (Tielt)
  • N35 from the intersection with the N50 (Pittem) to the crossing with the N330 (Avekapelle)
  • N42 from the intersection with the N8 to the Walloon border
  • N43 from the intersection with the R8 in Kortrijk to the crossing with the connection road towards the R4 in Ghent
  • N73 from the centre of Heppen (beginning N73) to the crossing of the N762 in

Wallonia

In Wallonia 4 kilometres of newly built road will be added to the paying road network:

N5g: from the intersection with the N5 (Couvin) up to the crossing with the ‘Ry de Rome’. It is the first phase of the newly built ring around Couvin that has been opened and will add to a better road safety and traffic flow.

2. The tariffs

As announced previously, the tariffs of the Sofico network will be adapted as of 1st January 2018. Flanders and Brussels will introduce a differentiation of the tariffs for Euro V and Euro VI vehicles. The Euro V tariffs will raise with 1 eurocent.

As of 1st January, the following tariffs will be applied to the paying toll roads in Belgium:

3. Tariffs of the fines

The fines system will also change on 1st January 2018. Instead of the unit rate of €1,000 per confirmed violation, a variable tariff will be introduced according to the seriousness of the violation.
These will be the tariffs as of 1st January 2018:

€1000 for a category A violation

  • for manipulation of the On Board Unit with the aim of committing fraud
  • Forgery of the registration documents which are needed to define the Gross Vehicle Weight, with the aim of committing fraud

€800 for a category B violation

  • There is no OBU for Belgium aboard
  • No service contract has been concluded with a provider accredited for Belgium

€500 for a category C violation

  • The OBU is not switched on
  • The OBU used is linked to another vehicle
  • Using the road network while the contract with the service provider has been suspended
  • Using the road network with an OBU that bears insufficient payment means
  • gebruik van het wegennet met een OBU nadat het ter beschikking gestelde betaalmiddel ontoereikend is geworden
  • Using an OBU that flags a problem or doesn’t function, without contacting immediately the service provider
  • Contacting the service provider about a non- or ill-functioning OBU but without complying with the instructions received

€100 for a category D violation

  • Every other violation of the Kilometre Charge regulations, not stipulated hereabove

4. Additional category of vehicles that fall within the Kilometre Charge

Finally, an additional category of vehicles has been added to the ones that have to comply with the Kilometre Charge. It is about the s.c. BE-tractors: tractors of category N1 (less than or equal to 3.5 tons) with a body code BC, which pull a semi-trailer resulting in a combined weight of more than 3.5 tons. They will have to pay the same kilometre charge as the HWVs. The tariff per kilometre is calculated on the basis of weight class, exhaust norm and the type of road used.

“The kilometre charge started in April 2016 as a clear and adaptable system of road charging,” says Viapass CEO Johan Schoups. “The legislation included an evaluation of the system at regular times by the three regions, based on the existing needs. These changes resulted in the adaptations the regions have made within their own competences.”