Germany expanding truck toll to entire major road network

BERLIN – Germany plans to expand its 11-year-old truck toll to cover the country's entire network of major roads.

The toll is now levied on autobahn highways and a few other main routes. The Cabinet approved Wednesday expanding it to all roads under federal supervision in July 2018, adding some 40,000 kilometers (24,850 miles) of roads to the system.

Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the change will generate about 2 billion euros per year ($2.3 billion) in extra income that will be invested in modernizing roads.

Separate plans to introduce a car toll — a pet project of Dobrindt's party — have run into opposition from the European Union's executive Commission. Unlike with the truck toll, the government wants to ensure that only foreign car drivers end up paying more.