Prices will be increased twice, first at the beginning of the year and then again for the summer tourist season.
Negotiations between the Transport Ministry and the World Bank about a financial package worth 1.8 billion euros to address financial problems in Croatia’s road sector are nearing conclusion, and the contracts could be signed during the first quarter of next year, reports Jutarnji List on December 2, 2016.
Although the final agreement has not yet been reached, the main outlines are known. These include: an increase in toll rates of 5 percent on motorways operated by the Croatian Motorways (HAC) public company, introduction of seasonal toll rates, merger of the maintenance and toll collection company (HAC ONC) with HAC, the Rijeka-Zagreb Motorway (ARZ) company remaining as an independent entity, introduction of automated toll collection, consolidation of public procurements in maintenance sector, and long-term planning of investments in Croatian Roads public company.
According to unofficial information, the toll increase and seasonal tolls will be introduced in order to avoid the abolition of discounts on payments made by ENC (electronic toll collection) devices, which was a proposal of the World Bank. Consultants of the World Bank had proposed abolition of discounts in order to maximize revenues.
Starting from 1 January, the toll rates will reportedly be increased by five percent for the 1st and 2nd category of vehicles (motorcycles and passenger cars), but only on motorways operated by HAC. The analysis has shown that the current toll rates per kilometre on the Rijeka-Zagreb Motorway are already higher than on other motorways. The increase of the toll rates would increase HAC’s revenues by about 80 million kuna. In that case, the toll from Zagreb to Split would be 183 kuna, an increase from current 174 kuna, while from Zagreb to Lipovac (near the border with Serbia on the way towards Belgrade) would be 193 kuna, an increase of 9 kuna.
Seasonal toll rates would be valid from 15 June to 15 September in all sections under the management of both HAC and ARZ, and they would be 10 percent higher than in the rest of the year. As has already been reported, vignettes will definitely not be introduced. Automated toll payment system will be gradually introduced as an interim solution before a GPS payment system is developed.
The World Bank has allegedly proposed the establishment of a special Agency for Toll Collection, but it is not clear why this agency would be founded, since there is already a dedicated public company with the same purpose.
