Maut – My First Go

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS EURO DRIVING FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

I AM SORRY COFFEHOLIC YOU WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE

MAUT BEING CONNECTED TO THE SAT SYSTEM ALL READY::

coffeholic,sorry it is connected to the GPS sat system and there fore what I
posted is not correct . ““BUT”” The TOLL COLLECT-&- BAG have both stated that this system is not allowed to be used for checking as how long the driver has been driveing or working, as of yet,and the german law
prohibits the misuse of the “DATA”" that is in the computor system,
THAT post is correct at present so perhaps these persons are right to be
worried but this will be illrevelant if the ""EURO–WIDE–MAUT is passed
and comesinto effect,as they willhave toget a unit fitted in the end ,

22

Yes Pete there are a lot of rumours about what the MAUT information can be used for but that is all they are, rumours. The data from the MAUT machines, OBUs and the MAUT bridges can only be used for the purpose of enforcing the MAUT and not for driver’s hours, wearing of seat belts or catching the driver picking their nose. :wink: :smiley: This is very strictly laid down in German law.

The way the MAUT bridges work is that as a vehicle approaches the cameras check the silhouette of the vehicle to determine if it falls within the scope of the MAUT, the driver can not be recognised in this process. If the bridge determines that the vehicle does fall within the scope of the MAUT the number plate is read and checked to see if the MAUT for this vehicle has been paid, if it has the pictures of the vehicle etc are immediately deleted. If the MAUT hasn’t been paid the details are passed on to the BAG for further action.

All this information is readily available in the public domain but as usual drivers don’t let the facts get in the way of a good scare story and prefer to believe that big brother is watching them for the slightest misdemeanour. :wink: :smiley:

Even if an enforcement officer tried to use the data to nick you for driver’s hours offences you have the law 100% on your side and their case against you wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.

23

A guy from our place was fined €175 on Wednesday for joining a Autobahn without having a ticket, the sevices were 2kms away from where he joined and he had pulled in to get the ticket.

As he was getting out of the cab the BAG came over and asked to see his reciept, his reply was “i am justing getting it now”, the BAG then told him it was an offence to join the Autobahn without having booked the journey so he is now €175 lighter.

24

Linux-user:
A guy from our place was fined €175 on Wednesday for joining a Autobahn without having a ticket, the sevices were 2kms away from where he joined and he had pulled in to get the ticket.

As he was getting out of the cab the BAG came over and asked to see his reciept, his reply was “i am justing getting it now”, the BAG then told him it was an offence to join the Autobahn without having booked the journey so he is now €175 lighter.

There must have been a Ticket machine by where he joined then… but I was under the opinion that you had to get it at the first possible place after joining the Autobahn??

25

can anyone tell me how much it works out per mile? is it a variable charge or fixed price?

many thanks
paul

26

It is variable depending on emissions class and number of axles. For a four or more axle, EURO 2 or 3 vehicle it is 12 cents per kilometre.

27

thanks neil

paul

28

I did my first run into Germany since it went live.

I was dropping in Essen, so I went up via Antwerp. Got tugged by the Belgians and checked for tax, authorisations etc, which was nice and unfriendly! You certainly don’t get a pat on the back from these people for being squeaky clean!

A while back, I looked at registering on line for the maut and getting a vehicle card (not enough trips to warrant an obu). Gave up with that when I found out you are not registering online — you fill the forms out online, then have to print them and put them in the post! Sometimes I run the truck solo with two axles, sometimes I put a trailer on with another three, and they don’t seem to cater for this. Anyway, putting the reg, emissions and axles on the terminal isn’t very taxing.

Before setting off, I’d planned my route, worked out the junctions, worked out roughly what it would cost etc and even located three sites where I could buy the toll before entering Germany.

The first service station I stopped at was really pokey. It took 10mins to get passed the pumps, then I found they only had parking for about three trucks. So I carried on to the next one. Similar problem with parking, then I found the one and only toll terminal was out of order!

So I ended up at Venlo. Shortly after touching the Union Jack on the screen, a young german chap arrived to help! This is going to be a breeze, I thought! Although we did have a bit of mutual confusion re timings, and the junction I planned to exit at was called Dortmund Kleeys, and he thought I was going to Dortmund! I might have got on better without his help!

But I came a bit unstuck when I put my fuel card in the slot. That part is all in German. And my helper had disappeared. I didn’t know when to take my card out, enter the pin etc. And I also didn’t know that it would print two tickets (and it was really slow doing the printing).

My second go (I’d planned to get out of Germany the same day) was a bit easier.

I think it’s a really daft system. The OBU is probably the way to go, but not at the current price for my 5 to 15 trips per yr. The vignette is simple, so is paying the tolls in France. The Swiss system takes a bit of getting used too, but at least you only declare the mileage in and out. So, if you get rerouted, get lost etc you don’t get fined for not pre-booking!

I think UK trucks should be exempt from all tolls/taxes etc until we start charging in the UK. For starters, there are less UK trucks going abroad than come over to the UK, and they use our roads for free!

Any quotes I do for Germany will now be bumped up by £35 to cover the admin/grief (I already build in the tolls).

29

I’ve used it once, and I didn’t find the machine too hard to understand. It’s obvious that the local staff have been trained in the use of the machines, since the biggest problem I had was that I couldn’t even show idle curiosity in a Maut machine on my transit without some enthusiastic spotty teenager approaching me and saying “Can I help you?”

“No thanks, got one already”

I went from Puttgarten to Bad Bentheim and I seem to recall that it was 35 euros. Or it might have been £35. It was 35 something.

I paid on UTA but cash or Visa seems to be ok too- if you want to pay cash, then you just pay it to the counter staff wherever the machine is located.

Vince

30

i do believe that if you have the obu fitted you get the cost of fitting back from your first bills for tolls.
i will find out very soon as i am having the obu fitted on wednesday this week.

31

To reply about the careing helpers ,these people have only been taken

on short term contracts as TOLL-COLLECT wishes to reduce its

outgoing costs as soon as they feel that the system is up and running

smoothly,The realy good point is that they have employed many

young people who are capable of converseing with nearly all the

drivers that wish to use the machine, BUT it would be more

efficent if they build into these machines multi-language capabilitys

but we will have to just wait and see, AS for a refund I do not belive

that you will get a refund for haveing the OBU as you get charged

less I have been informened as some one who pays at the machine.