Coalition party D66 wants the cabinet to speed up preparations to introduce road pricing. The party wants this to prevent traffic jams and nitrogen emissions. D66’s plans go much further than Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructure) wants.
Rutger Schonis (D66) wants the cabinet to work on it now so that the next cabinet can continue working on it. Last year it was agreed that a final decision on road pricing will not be made until 2025. Schonis wants to keep the minister to agreements from the climate agreement, which was concluded last year. “It is a good start that the agreements are on paper”, he says. “The next step is that the agreements are also implemented.”
Last month, the Ministry of Finance calculated that the greatest gain in terms of congestion and emissions is achieved by a peak-hour charge in combination with a charge that depends on location, time and emissions. D66 is in favor of this. Vehicle tax can also be abolished, according to the party. “It is fairer to pay for a car that is in motion than for a car that is stationary.”
Although there are now fewer traffic jams due to corona, according to D66, road pricing is still necessary because traffic is picking up again after the crisis. Earlier this month, the Knowledge Institute for Mobility Policy (KiM) wrote that traffic jams in 2025 will be as long as in 2019 in the best case and 20 percent longer in the worst case. The growing population and the expected recovery of the economy explain this increase, according to KiM.
Van Nieuwenhuizen wants only electric drivers to pay more, because they use the road but do not pay excise duties at the fuel pump. The minister does not think that is fair. Last year, she said it “should not have been necessary” for the Ministry of Finance to re-examine the measure. She is also firmly against a rush hour charge. Last year she called that measure “anathema.” The Telegraph.