Steffen Bilger rules out immediate car toll in Germany

German Transport Minister Steffen Bilger addressed the possibility of introducing a car toll during an appearance on the talk show ‘Maischberger’. Bilger stated that implementing a toll is not currently part of his mandate, nor is it a project included in the coalition agreement.

While acknowledging that most neighboring European countries utilize toll systems and noting that there are arguments in favor of such a system, Bilger emphasized that his current priority is the implementation of funds from the special budget and the federal budget. He also expressed a desire to attract private capital for infrastructure development.

Bilger reflected on the previous failed attempt to introduce a car toll under former Minister Andreas Scheuer, describing the past process as ‘annoying’ and noting that the debate in Germany has been somewhat ‘burnt’ due to those experiences.