Delay in German toll

The German government has again delayed the start of a trial phase for a high-tech highway toll for trucks, making it unlikely…

The German government has again delayed the start of a trial phase for a high-tech highway toll for trucks, making it unlikely the satellite-based system can be launched as planned in November.

A spokesman for the transport ministry said the start of the test phase was being postponed indefinitely. In the plan, Germany would charge 12-ton trucks crossing its highway network, the most heavily used in Europe. The toll was set at 12.4 cents per kilometre.

The system has been blighted by technical problems that have disrupted the installation of so-called onboard units used to track a vehicle around the highway network.