Netherlands Turns Green with GPS Road Tax

November 16, 2009

The Dutch government has taken the lead in an initiative that other European countries may soon follow: a distance-driven tax, with the distance calculated by onboard GPS receivers, to replace the annual road tax on cars. The idea has gotten study by departments of transportation in several U.S. states, including Oregon, and has also drawn significant pre-backlash from various consumer groups.

Dutch drivers will pay per kilometer driven, in a move to ease chronic traffic jams and cut carbon emissions. The system uses GPS to monitor cars, and will receive close scrutiny from other countries weighing options for clearing chronic blockage on crowded roads. Europe has — if you can believe — a higher incidence of traffic jams and slowdowns than the United States. Singapore currently has a similar scheme for charging according to the amount of travel.

When the plan takes effect in 2012, forecasts predict that new car prices could fall by as much as 25 per cent with the abolition of purchase and road taxes. Instead, an average passenger car will pay €.03 per kilometer (USD 7.3 cents per mile), with higher rates charged during rush-hour and for travel on congested roads.

The Dutch Transport Ministry said trucks, commercial vehicles, and bigger cars emitting more carbon dioxide will be assessed at a higher rate. GPS receivers will track the time, hour, and place each car moves and send the data to a billing agency. There was no specification as to whether the measure will require carmakers to install the receivers and antennas, or whether it must be done by car dealers, or others, prior to sale.

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Re: Netherlands Turns Green with GPS Road Tax

by: NickG
on: November 17, 2009 - 10:45pm

Can anyone tell me how they intend to "protect" the GPS records from interruption or spoofing? I have seen a credit card sized L1 GPS transmitter powered by a 9-volt battery that will jam standard GPS-type signals for miles. To me, this type of proposal seems like a great way to induce potentially thousands (or millions!) of people to own a GPS jammer... and probably a more sophisticated spoofer in the future. Given the incredible vulnerability of GPS-type signals, and the amount of infrastructure which now depends on GPS timing... frankly, the thought of thousands of jammers travelling in cars around the countryside gives me the willies! Surely this is a problem just waiting to happen? From my understanding, low-powered jammers are a extremely difficult devices to find, even in the best of circumstances. How would the transport authorities PROVE that a car owner was jamming reception of GPS (and therefore probably avoiding running up trackable miles) versus the "I have no idea who was jamming GPS in my area... it could be my neigbor" problem? Any reading references re this subject would be appreciated. Thanks.