Chalk a victory up for the two-wheelers, as Germany’s famed Autobahn road system is set to go the way of the toll road…except for motorcycles that is. The new toll system will interestingly enough apply only to vehicles with foreign license tags, with permits to circulate on the autobahn being sold at border crossings into Germany and other locations within the country.
With neighbors Austria and Switzerland already playing this game, it seems Germany is just doing a little nationalistic tit-for-tat, at the expense of drivers of course. Motorcyclists, inside and outside of Germany, will be exempt from the rule permit system, which is expected to cost in the €100 / year range.
While the toll/permit system isn’t expected to come on-line in Germany until January 1, 2016 – we imagine the European Council will have a thing or two to say about the preferential treatment given to German-living vehicles. European residents can expect a long legal battle over this one, which likely won’t be resolved until it gets to the European Court of Justice.
Source: Spiegel via Bikes in the Fast Lane
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