European Autobahn toll fees - Germany

Many German neighbors charge for use of their highways. Why shouldn’t Germany? The funds could be used to maintain the roads and facilities. I am for a yearly fee (like in Switzerland) that I pay once and drive as I much as please. That way anyone visiting or passing through Germany would also contribute.
I just drove through Austrian (two week vignette c. €14) over the Brenner (another €7) and then down the Italian A14 for €31. I do this two or three times a year and no longer see why Germany shouldn't also cash in.

keep it free, we pay more than enough tax as it is

Yet more taxes? Anyone who drives through Germany on their way to somewhere else already pays taxes when they fill up with fuel. It's virtually impossible to drive the length of Germany, from Holland say, without filling up at least once. this is not the case with Austria and Switzerland. I see no reason why I should pay just so I can go to work to earn money so I can pay taxes. What this would mean is that more people would use the ordinary roads, thus clogging up the towns and villages, just as is happening with the trucks since they brought in the toll.

Simple to get around by not charging german registered cars, just the foreigners.

Nice idea Beg Tets, but I suspect liable to go down like a cup of warm sick with the neighbours.

"Keeping it free" means precisely paying more taxes.

Tolls and petrol tax are the answer, because we pay enough INCOME tax as it is. The funding has to come from somewhere after all. And I am a car owner who probably spends more time driving on the autobahn than most TTers.

Ah but they won't be, will they

Well, they are meant to have this taxing system for the lorries, which I don't think is up and running yet. Anyone one know?

The Trucks have been paying since the beginning of the year which why everyone is complaining about the amount of trucks on the ordinary roads now!

@Kza, but we also pay a higher petrol tax than our neighbours no? Thus we already pay enuff tax I reckon

So fund it how Timmeh?

Actually, privatisation is the answer.

As opposed to a car, a truck can travel the length of Germany without taking on fuel

F*ck me, a fellow TTer and I drove to Rottweil on monday and we jumped off the autobahn somewhere and the regular riads were jammed nose to tail with slow moving trucks, 'twas a nightmare, arrrrr!

@Kza, don't think i know enough about the roading system here to comment even marginally intelligently...is it currently underfunded?

But trucks have to stop by law every 2 hours, so even if the don't buy fuel they buy coffee, food, porno mags etc. which all adds to the profits of the service stations, who then pay taxes on their profits.