Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands top the list: Foreign lorries receive two out of three fines

Since New Year, the Danish Road Traffic Authority has issued almost 30,000 fines to lorries that have not paid the new kilometre-based road tax. It was introduced on 1 January and the vast majority have been given to foreign vehicles, according to a freedom of information request obtained by FermernBusiness from the Danish Road Traffic Authority.

Between 1 January and 12 May 2025, exactly 29,982 fines were issued. According to the report, 19,982 of the fines were given to foreign lorries. 

The tax, which applies to heavy vehicles over 12 tonnes, was introduced as part of the green transition and is charged based on the number of kilometres driven, road type, and the vehicle's environmental class. Payment is made either via a box in the cab or by purchasing a digital ticket. If the system does not register payment, a fine is automatically triggered. The amount is currently 4,500 kroner per offence.

The report shows that the nationalities most frequently fined are Polish, German, Dutch, Romanian, and Bulgarian vehicles. In total, fines have been registered for lorries from 23 different countries.

Almost 12,000 objections

At the same time, the figures show that the Danish Road Traffic Authority has received 11,935 objections to the fines. 5,458 concern Danish hauliers, while 6,477 relate to foreign ones. This corresponds to an objection in almost every third case. 

The scheme has been criticised from the start for being technically difficult to manage - especially in cases where payment via box or app does not work correctly. Several industry organisations have previously pointed out that the legislation does not distinguish between non-payment in bad faith and errors due to misunderstandings or technical problems.

Earlier in May, Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen sent a proposal for consultation that would allow foreign lorries to be denied passage over the Great Belt Bridge if they have unpaid fines. According to the ministry, it could be enforced from 1 July. Drivers would then have to document payment upon arrival - for example, via instant transfer. According to the minister, the measure is a way to ensure that the rules apply equally to everyone.