German Truck Toll System Delayed Till 2005

Germany’s much-delayed toll system for heavy commerical trucks won't take off until 2005 at the earliest. Originally scheduled to start last August, the high-tech system, which relies on satellites to track commercial transport vehicles on German highways, has been plagued by problems. As a result, Germany has already lost about €620 million in revenue, endangering transport infrastructure improvement projects planned for 2004. Toll Collect, a consortium made up of leading German companies including DaimlerChrysler and Deutsche Telekom, now hopes to get the system working in a two-phase plan running into 2006. German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder had threatened Toll Collect with an ultimatum to present a new plan over the weekend. It is now unlikely that the consortium will lose the contract for the time being.