Changes to the Hungarian toll system and their expected impact on the costs of public road transport companies in the case of alternative propulsion

Abstract

In addition to the fees payable for the use of infrastructure in relation to road freight transport, the appearance of items related to the extent of environmental impact, in accordance with the legislator's intention, creates incentive conditions that will cause companies interested in road freight transport to review their depreciation strategies used in the previous period and possibly move towards solutions that are less burdensome to the environment. Combined with state responsibility that adequately supports the purchase of environmentally friendly vehicles, this process can bring about a breakthrough: it can successfully contribute to climate protection efforts, stimulate the market for environmentally friendly vehicles, and thus increase the performance of the European and domestic economies. In order to achieve these goals, the domestic toll system has changed significantly from 1 January 2024, following EU guidelines. A new axle category has been introduced, the toll network has been expanded, and the local environmental impact resulting from traffic has been reduced.