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Since the opening of the Blankenburg connection, up to and including September, 200,000 fines have been issued to road users for not paying the required toll. In total, these amounts to approximately 7 million euros, confirmed a spokesperson for the National Road Traffic Service (RDW) in response to reporting by NOS.
The Blankenburg connection, the A24 highway between Vlaardingen and Rozenburg, opened in early December last year. Users must pay a toll to use it. This is collected electronically.
Electronic toll collection is a new way of collecting tolls in the Netherlands without toll booths or toll plazas, but based on photographing the license plate of each passing vehicle, explains a spokesperson. “With various signs above and along the road, it is clearly indicated that the A24 is a toll road, what toll amount applies and how the toll can be paid.” This can be done automatically or for each trip separately via the website e-tol.nl, according to the spokesperson. “The latter must be done within 72 hours after the trip.”
If a road user forgets to pay, they receive a payment reminder by mail. This currently happens for one in five passages. If payment is still not made, a fine of €35 follows. The group of motorists who do not pay on time includes people who are using the A24 for the first time and are not accustomed to this new method of toll collection, according to the spokesperson. “Some of these road users need some time to discover how this new way of paying tolls works.”
Others view the payment reminder as an invoice. “They therefore only pay the toll when they receive a payment reminder.” This is currently done without additional costs, but starting December 7th, a payment reminder will cost €9.