Since the new kilometre-based road tax came into effect on 2 January, the Danish Road Traffic Authority has issued 24,625 fines to hauliers. This is according to new figures from the authority, which FemernBusiness has obtained access to.
The tax applies to lorries over 12 tonnes and is charged based on environmental class and kilometres driven. It has been introduced as part of the green transition but has caused significant frustration in the industry.
Only one in five complaints are upheld
According to the Danish Road Traffic Authority, up to 31 March, 8,093 objections have been filed against the fines. Only 1,702 cases have been processed. In 402 instances, the hauliers have been successful, while 1,259 have been rejected.
Sund & Bælt is responsible for the technical operation and monitoring of the system. They use number plate scanners to register whether a lorry has paid the tax and report potential violations to the Danish Road Traffic Authority, which then issues the fine.
DTL: Foreign lorries are the problem
Several hauliers report that they have received fines even though they believe they have followed the rules. A box in the lorry must register the journey and automatically triggers a fine if the system is not active.
At DTL - Danish Hauliers - they have continuously pointed out problems with the tax and the many fines it has triggered.
- We are aware of the many fines, which are due to many initial difficulties, but we also believe that the system will work, says DTL director Erik Østergaard.
According to DTL, 54 percent of all fines are issued to foreign lorries.
- This is where the problems lie, says Erik Østergaard.
He encourages his members to complain whenever they believe a fine is unjust - and that DTL is in ongoing dialogue with both Sund & Bælt, Brobizz, and the Danish Road Traffic Authority.
Sax-Trans: Complaints rejected
One of the companies that has been hit hard is Sax-Trans in Sakskøbing. They have complained about the six fines they have received. All complaints have been rejected, says director Peter Flensted Rasmussen.
- We have received a standard response, but we do not give up and will complain again, says the director.
The Confederation of Danish Industry has previously sharply criticised the legislation. They believe that the rules are too rigid and too broad.
- The problem lies in the way the law is structured. There is no distinction between good and bad faith. The fine is the same whether you have tried to cheat or have done everything correctly, and that is not fair, said transport policy chief Rune Noack in March.
He suggested that hauliers acting in good faith should be able to make a back payment instead of receiving a fine.
Minister: The system works
Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen has maintained that the overall system works as it should, even though there have been errors at the start.
- There is no system that is flawless, but fundamentally, the system works. The errors that may be due to the system are also corrected and fines annulled, he wrote earlier in a response to FemernBusiness.
The government has proposed doubling the fine from 4,500 to 9,000 kroner from 1 July. The bill is under consideration in the Folketing.
