Changes in the toll system as of 1 January 2021

A summary of important changes in the electronic toll system, which will come into effect on 1 January 2021 on the basis of an amendment to Regulation of the Government No. 240/2014 Coll and Decree No. 470/2012 Coll as amended

New parameters for toll calculation
New toll rates as of 1 January 2021
Setting the number of axles on the on-board unit
Re-registration of vehicles powered by natural gas or bio-methane and complying with the EURO VI emission standard
Dynamic weight change
Newly-launched toll roads
Toll discounts
General terms and conditions valid from 1. 1. 2021


New parameters for toll calculation


New toll rates comprise a road charge, air pollution charge, and traffic-based noise pollution charge. 

In connection with the aforesaid components, toll rates are broken down according to:

  • road category (motorways; 1st category roads)
  • vehicle category (vehicles in the electronic toll system other than vehicles of M2 and M3 category; vehicles of M2 and M3 category)
  • vehicle emission classes (up to EURO IV class; EURO V and EEV class; EURO VI class; EURO VI class powered by natural gas or bio-methane
  • maximum permissible weight of a vehicle or a vehicle combination (over 3.5 tons and less than 7.5 tons; at least 7.5 tons and less than 12 tons; at least 12 tons)
  • number of axles of a vehicle or a vehicle combination (2 axles; 3 axles; 4 axles; 5 or more axles)
  • period of the day (daily rate – from 05:00:00 to 21:59:59; night rate – from 22:00:00 to 04:59:59)

The aforesaid adjustments will be reflected in invoices and in the statement of toll transactions (csv). These documents will now contain a breakdown of the prescribed toll into individual types of charges:

  • Road charge
  • Air pollution charge
  • Traffic-based noise pollution charge

New toll rates as of 1 January 2021

Toll rates for using 1 km of toll roads are set by the Regulation of the Government of the Czech Republic No. 240/2014 Coll as amended with effect as of 1 January 2021. The amount of toll for using a specific section is given by a multiple of the toll rate and the length of a section.

Toll rates comprise a road charge, air pollution charge, and traffic-based noise pollution charge. You can find the new toll rates here, or download a detailed overview here.

Setting the number of axles on the on-board unit

As of 1 January, the toll system differentiates the rates for vehicles of the M2 and M3 category (buses) according to the current number of axles, and for other vehicles, a rate for 5 or more axles has been introduced.  

For carriers, this change means:

  • Vehicles must have the actual number of axles set on the on-board unit, even in the case of 5 or more axles (the number of axles 5+ is then displayed on the OBU simultaneously by diodes 2 and 3).
  • Vehicles in the M2 and M3 category must now set the current number of axles on the on-board unit when driving on toll roads from the beginning of the year.

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Re-registration of vehicles powered by natural gas or bio-methane and complying with the EURO VI emission standard

Based on an amendment a new emission class (CNG / BIO E6) which is including vehicles meeting the EURO VI emission class powered by natural gas or biomethane (exclusively or in combination) is introduced as of 1 January 2021 in the electronic toll system. The category of vehicles complying with the EURO VI emission standard will thus be divided into two categories according to type of fuel.

Vehicles that have so far been registered in the electronic toll system in the EURO VI emission class and that also meet the condition of being powered by natural gas or biomethane exclusively or in combination, need to apply for re-registration by sending an application to cngbio@czechtoll.cz. (For M2 and M3 category vehicles registered in the Czech Republic, re-registration is automatic).

Operators using the prepay mode can re-register after 14. 12. 2020 at any distribution point and contact point by returning the on-board unit (termination of registration) and having a new on-board unit issued (new registration).

For vehicles complying with the EURO VI emission standard for which the propulsion unit will be rebuilt for natural gas or biomethane fuel in the future (exclusively or in combination), a complete re-registration must be carried out in the toll system. This means terminating the existing vehicle registration and creating a new vehicle registration with the new parameters (this change must be substantiated by data specified in the Vehicle Registration Certificate - the main technical certificate - Part II.). This procedure applies to both prepay and postpay mode.

Parameters of the newly-created emission category apply to vehicles that:

  • meet the EURO VI emission standards and also 
  • in box P.3 of the Vehicle Registration Certificate have one of the following abbreviations:
    • NG, CNG, LNG, D-CNG, BIO METHANE, METHANE, ERDGAS NG, METANO, NM + CNG, BA + CNG, NM + LNG, BA + LNG

The re-registration application has to include:

  • a list of the license plate numbers of vehicles entitled to be included in the new emission category
  • in the e-mail attachment to the Vehicle Registration Certificate section II (main technical certificate) of the vehicles concerned
     

Dynamic weight change

As of 1 January 2021 dynamic change of the weight category will be introduced in the toll system, which means that the classification of a vehicle in a weight category changes depending on the connection and disconnection of trailers to the vehicle. The toll rate for a specific vehicle journey will therefore be derived from the current weight of the vehicle / vehicle combination with a trailer at the time of the journey.

The dynamic change of weight category will be applied depending on:

  • registered maximum permissible vehicle weight (parameter F.2 "Maximum permissible vehicle weight" on the Vehicle Registration Certificate),
  • registered basic number of axles (parameter L on the Vehicle Registration Certificate), and 
  • the current number of axles while driving.

The specific implementation of the dynamic weight change will depend on the weight category of the vehicle:

  • For vehicles of the weight category (3.5 t; 7.5 t) [more than 3.5 t and less than 7.5 t], the toll rate of a higher weight category, i.e. <7.5 t, will be applied when assessing toll events; 12 t) [at least 7,5 t and less than 12 t], if the registered vehicle connects a trailer behind it with two or more axles.
  • For vehicles of vehicle category <7.5 t, 12 t) [at least 7.5 t and less than 12 t], the toll rate of a higher weight category, i.e. ≥12 t [at least 12 t], will be applied when assessing toll events, if the registered vehicle connects a trailer behind it with one or more axles.

Newly-launched toll roads

  • D48 Rybí - Příbor Východ of 11.53 km 
  • D06 Nové Strašecí - Krušovice of 9.8 km 

Toll discounts

Based on the amendment the limit values and the percentage values of toll discounts shall change as of 1 January 2021.

If the total amount of the toll levied in order to recover the cost of the toll road (toll for the use of the toll road) for a vehicle in the electronic toll system has reached at least:

  • CZK 65,000, a discount of 6% will be granted;
  • CZK 95,000, a discount of 9% will be granted;
  • CZK 170,000, a discount of 11% will be granted;
  • CZK 270,000, a discount of 13% will be granted.

General terms and conditions valid from 1 January 2021

In connection with above mentioned changes from 1 January 2021 a new version of General terms and conditions entered in force, which you can find here.