Germany Proposes Autobahn Fee for Foreign Users

The German government wants to charge foreigners who use its high-speed autobahn highways as much as €130 per year, Bloomberg News reports.

The measure, which must be approved by lawmakers, would take effect in 2016. The toll reportedly would gross about €3.7 billion per year. Germany already charges border fees for trucks.

Owners of cars registered in Germany also would pay the toll, but they would be allowed to deduct it from their vehicle tax, according to Bloomberg.

The government has proposed the charge in part because neighboring Austria and Switzerland already collect similar road tolls. Transportation Minister Alexander Dobrindt says the measure would "fill a fairness gap."

The fee also reflects a trend among EU members to find ways to help finance public-works projects. Bloomberg notes that German Chancellor Angela Merkel campaigned on a no-new-tax platform, and charging the fee was a condition of support for the Bavarian wing of her Christian Democrats party.