Road pricing could cost citizens 7 to 8 cents per kilometer

What the road pricing system will look like in 2030 is still almost entirely dependent on political choices, according to a series of studies commissioned by the government. Depending on which pricing variant the Cabinet chooses, the rates differ, for example, between petrol, diesel, or electric cars. But it is now expected to cost the citizen about 7 to 8 cents per kilometer.

A political decision on how road pricing will be introduced should be made later this year. The government wants to implement it from 2030. The government could also pick a different variant than what was calculated in the studies.

How much the costs differ for households also depends on the different variants, as well as the household’s driving behavior. In most variants, households pay slightly less car tax on average. In the variant focused on CO2 reduction, their tax expenditure will increase slightly.

Therein lies a dilemma. The introduction of road pricing has two objectives: on the one hand, to maintain tax revenues, which are decreasing due to the higher number of electric cars. On the other hand, “pay according to use” should lead to less CO2 emissions. These two goals “have a degree of contradiction,” said the researchers from Arup and KPMG. It is important to communicate this well, they advise. Otherwise, there may be more misunderstanding of the measure.

For delivery vans, the cost per kilometer is lower at over 6 cents per kilometer, depending on the variant. For the sake of the climate goals, the Cabinet could choose to allocate a cheaper rate per kilometer for electric cars. If the rate is calculated by weight, owners of electric cars will pay more per kilometer because plug-in cars are heavier.

State Secretary Marnix van Rij (Taxation) and Minister Mark Harbers (Infrastructure) sent the study to parliament for consideration.