Since the beginning of the year, the Danish Road Traffic Authority has issued 8,892 fines to hauliers for non-payment of the new kilometer-based road tax. Now new figures show that objections are pouring in.
According to information from the Danish Road Traffic Authority, as of February 19, 1,722 objections have been filed against the issued fines. This corresponds to just under 20 percent of all fines that were sent out by February 17.
Massive criticism from the industry
The fines have caused great frustration in the transport industry. Many hauliers have previously stated that they believe they have done everything right, yet they still receive fines.
Director Peter Flensted Rasmussen from Sax-Trans in Sakskøbing is one of those who have objected to the fines. His company has received six fines, all of which have been contested.
- 9,000 fines in such a short time clearly shows that something is completely wrong here. You have to look inward. There aren't that many fraudsters at all, the director tells FemernBusiness.
DI: The fine system is not fair
At the Confederation of Danish Industry, transport policy chief Rune Noack has previously criticized the current legislation for not distinguishing between hauliers who deliberately avoid paying and those who experience technical errors or misunderstandings in the system.
DI therefore suggests that hauliers should have the opportunity to pay the fee retroactively instead of receiving a fine when they have acted in good faith.
- It's easy to document and correct the error that way. And then we avoid the unfair fines, says Rune Noack.
Sund & Bælt maintains: The system works
Sund & Bælt, which is responsible for the operation of the fee system, maintains that the system works as it should. According to the company, only a small proportion of the registered passages result in a fine. They also point out that hauliers can object if they believe they have been unfairly fined.
Right now, the Danish Parliament is considering a proposal from the government to increase the fines to 9,000 kroner from July 1.
