kilometerheffing

Kilometerheffing is a policy concept under which motorists pay a fee proportional to the number of kilometers they drive within a jurisdiction. The fee can vary by vehicle type, time, and road category, and is intended to fund road maintenance and to reflect the social costs of driving.

Most designs rely on measurement of distance traveled, using on-board units, telematics, or odometer readings, with data transmitted to a central authority, while privacy-preserving designs limit data collected and aggregation.

In the Netherlands the concept has been under study since the early 2000s as a possible alternative to fuel tax, especially to address revenue losses from electric vehicles. Various pilots and trials have been organized but a nationwide implementation has not occurred; several European countries have conducted smaller pilots or considered the approach.

Proponents argue it would allocate costs more fairly, reduce congestion and emissions, and secure road funding; opponents raise concerns about privacy, data security, costs of rollout, and potential regressive effects on drivers in rural or lower-income groups, as well as the risk of evasion and political acceptability.

Kilometerheffing is related to broader concepts of road pricing and congestion charging; implementation would require legal framework, privacy protections, and public acceptance.