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Questions / Answers > Tolls | |
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The purpose of the toll |
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The toll is the main resource of motorway companies destined to finance motorway construction, operation, maintenance and modernization. It helps ensure a high level of services of our network (comfortable and convenient journey, road safety, etc). |
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Why toll fares rise every year |
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In compliance with the concession and planning contract signed with the State, on February 1 each year ASF revaluates its toll fares. For the year 2007, the average toll increase is of 2% for all vehicles types (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). In practice, the toll increase is situated within the range of 10 centimes to 1 Euro, depending of the section. This increase takes into account the general inflation, our investment plan and our operation costs. Since January 1, 2002, ASF has invested over 2.6 billion Euros into the construction of new motorway connections, the roadway and toll area extension, the network maintenance and modernization. According to the planning contract 2007/2011, ASF is going to invest 2,5 billion Euros into its network over the next 5 years. Toll increase is approved by the General Road Administration and the DGCCRF. |
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Why some fares rise more than the average |
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The average rise comprises fares that do not rise at all, those that rise more and those that rise less. Short journey fares cannot be revaluated each year because of the practice of rounding up to 10 Euros (in order to avoid change return problems). These fares are revised every 3 to 4 years leading to toll increases of 10 to 20 centimes at a time. Overtime, these fares do not rise faster than the others. You will also note that certain sections’ fares did not rise at all in 2007. The ASF network collects a total of 6.875 fares (for all vehicle types), 1.594 of them remained unchanged in 2007. |
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Why do travellers have to keep paying for old highways that have all been paid for? |
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The economic model of the highway concessions is based on a whole and does consider each road individually, and this until the end of our concession term in 2032. Thus older motorway sections with an established traffic flow, such as the A7 or the A9, “level” more recent motorways with moderate traffic flow. Without this economic equation it would have been impossible to ensure a quality motorway network throughout the entire territory of France. |
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Who pays the toll fare? |
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The toll is based on the principle of absolute equity: the user only pays the toll fare. Thus French but also foreign (20% of total fares) users, international transportation companies and tourists pay the fare. All opinion polls show that this system is widely accepted. 71 % of French citizens prefer network financing through tolls rather than taxes (ASFA). |
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Why are there no incentives for frequent road users? |
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ASF is developing a Liber-t Preference Télépéage program (electronic toll collection system) allowing frequent road users to earn free journeys on a road regularly taken. This program concerns some 750 roads of our network. Moreover, partnerships with local communities allow us to offer highly attractive rates on home- to- work journeys. |
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What would be the consequences of toll elimination in France? |
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The State would have to assume operation costs of its network (wages, maintenance, reparation, security), or approximately 750 million Euros per year. Moreover, France would have to bear a loss of 1 billion Euros (20 % of the total toll turnover) coming from foreign vehicles using the French motorway network. The State would also bear a budget loss of 2 billion Euros coming from various taxes paid by motorway companies. In the meantime, the State would have to pay back on contracted loans that amount to 2.5 billion Euros per year. Finally, the State would be obliged to buy companies working on its networks. This amounts to a total of 7.65 billion Euros to be recovered from 17 million taxable households, or 450 € of additional taxes for each of these. |
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What is a télépéage (electronic toll collection system) ? |
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It is a service enabling télépéage subscribers to pass the toll without having to pay the fare by hand. This is allowed by an electronic badge placed on the windshield that helps identify the vehicle and the amount it has to pay that is then registered and deducted from the user’s bank account at the end of the month.
Its advantages
With the télépéage, toll gates open automatically and you can thus save time passing down lanes that are indicated by the sign “T”.
You do not need to open your window, look for your ticket, change or credit card… You travel with maximum comfort! At the end of each month you receive a bill with the detail of all your journeys and of the amount that will be automatically deducted from your bank account. For professional users this system simplifies VAT recovering on all tolls in France.
Your Télépéage badge is valid on the entire French motorway network and on a number of other toll passages (Millau Viaduct, Marseille Urban Tunnel, Puymorens Tunnel, Tancarville and Normandy Bridges)
For User Manual, subscription forms…please click on
télépéage |
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Why certain countries do not have a toll system? |
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There are no free motorways, neither in France nor anywhere else. There are simply motorways with or without toll. Road construction, operation, maintenance are a cost that has to be financed in any country. The question is to know who finances this cost? It can either be the user through the toll system, or it is the taxpayer through taxes. Without toll, each household, whether it owns a vehicle or not, would have to pay some 450 Euros per year of additional income tax. Foreign users would not contribute to financing French motorways that they use. Please also note that toll system is getting a wider use in Europe (for example, truck toll in Germany and Austria, city toll in London). |
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Why do trucks pay a higher fare? |
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The costs generated by a truck are substantially higher than those of a car: more damage to the roadway, heavier lane congestion, more disturbances during accidents). Thus it is normal for trucks to pay a higher fare. However, as a professional category, they benefit from VAT exemption and have access to special subscriptions offering reduced rates. |
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Why pay to go to work? |
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The decision to give each particular road in concession to ASF belongs to the State. In making this choice, the State preferred transferring network construction and operation costs. The toll paid by road users is a logical participation to the investments made by motorway companies. The high costs of road construction in urban and suburban areas as well as the difficulty to finance large projects by additional taxes lead to the toll system solution. However, ASF in cooperation with local communities offers attractive rates for those who regularly use the same road for home- to- work journeys. |
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How is the money spent? |
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ASF invests into its road network construction, modernization, operation and maintenance. Toll revenues are used more specifically to finance the following :
- construction of motorways given to ASF in concession : 177.7 million Euros in 2006 ;
- road reparation, maintenance and improvement (road extension, security improvements, noise barriers…) : 223.5 million Euros in 2006 ;
- debt : 348.6 million Euros in 2006
Also, 300.8 million Euros were paid to the State and local communities in taxes in 2006 (national licence included, VAT excluded).
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Why pay for congested roads? |
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A motorway company detaining a State concession offers to its clients an infrastructure with the best traffic conditions possible (security, fluid traffic, comfort). It does not transport its users (this would create a different contract relationship).Thus the toll fare is a right of access to the given infrastructure and its payment does not guarantee a given journey timeframe.
However, having a particular concern for our client satisfaction, we do our best to limit all possible travel discomfort. Even if these are conducted to repair the infrastructure after an accident or to improve its quality, roadwork on motorway lanes disturbs the traffic, reducing road capacity and thus reducing the quality of service offered to our clients. When roadwork is foreseeable, it is always conducted during periods of lighter traffic. The most convenient operation dispositions are chosen to ensure, on the one hand, the most fluid traffic along the work site and, on the other hand, the highest security for our clients but also for all personnel involved. Thus we always choose the most convenient time periods based on traffic and weather forecasts and school vacations. We also use urban construction methods such as night works, mobile construction sites, etc...
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