ASECAP - Members

ASFINAG was founded in 1982 as a private limited company, owned by the Republic of Austria (100%). This company was not operatively active, nor in the field of construction neither in the field of motorway operation. Its aim was limited to financing services.

In 1997 ASFINAG was transformed into a company responsible for building, operating, tolling and financing Austria's motorway and expressway network. Since that time ASFINAG has the usufructs right and collects tolls for the use of its network. These tolls are the most important financing basis for ASFINAG as ASFINAG receives no money from the state even if the company is still owned by the Republic of Austria.

ASFINAG’s core competences consist in motorway operation, tolling and construction management. Main objectives are to ensure and optimise traffic flow, traffic safety and driving comfort, taken into account the demand of the road users. Reliability and efficiency are the basis of our activities.

Furthermore, the permanent development and providing of important parts of the high-grade trunk network system regarding terms of traffic, economic matters and aspects of national economy is one the superior objectives of ASFINAG.

Since 2005, the operational tasks of ASFINAG are performed by seven subsidiaries, whilst the group holding company is responsible for the company strategy and corporate service functions.

The subsidiaries are the ASFINAG Alpenstraßen GmbH (alpine roads) and the ASFINAG Service companies East, North and South for operation, construction maintenance and traffic management. The ASFINAG Bau Management GmbH responsible for construction management and new constructions and the ASFINAG Maut Service GmbH which is in charge of the tolling services. The portfolio is topped off by ASFINAG International GmbH which is basically participating in international infrastructural traffic projects (consultancy services and participation in PPP projects).

At the end of 2008, the Austrian motorway and expressway network was more than 2,100 km long. About 300 km of this network consist of tunnels and about 300 km of bridges. The sections that require considerable investments due to especially costly alpine terrain (the A9 Pyhrn motorway, the A10 Tauern motorway, the A11 Karawanken motorway, the A13 Brenner motorway and the S16 Arlberg expressway) - all together about 140 km - are subject to a distance related toll payment (special toll sections).

Since 1997, passenger cars and motorcycles are obliged to buy toll stickers when they want to drive on the Austrian motorways and expressways, with the exception of the above mentioned special toll sections. Thanks to a comprehensive network of around 7,500 point of sales. ASFINAG has ensured smooth distribution of the toll stickers. The simple system, and the modest fees charged have contributed greatly to the broad public acceptance of the time-related toll system in Austria.

Distance-related tolls for Austria’s motorways and expressways are charged for all vehicles over 3.5 t maximum gross weight (trucks, buses and heavy motor homes). Toll collection is conducted with microwave technology, using a fully electronic system which does not hinder the flow of traffic (multilane free-flow system). Vehicles required to pay tolls which use the primary road network in Austria must be fitted with an onboard unit, the so-called “GO-Box”, which can be obtained at about 180 selling points.

The amount of the toll-fee depends on the number of axles and is graded according to three categories:

Vehicles with two axles pay 0.158 cent per kilometre (category 2)
Vehicles with three axles pay 0.2212 cent per kilometre (category 3)
Vehicles with four axles pay 0.3318 cent per kilometre (category 4)

On the special toll sections - as before – also for vehicles over 3.5 t maximum gross weight an increased kilometre tariff applies.

The toll enforcement is done through a combination of automatic and manual systems.

In accordance with the EU Road Charges Directive 1999/62/EC as amended by 2006/38/EC tolling schemes for trucks have to take into account the EURO-emission classes by the beginning of 2010.

With this in mind, ASFINAG carried out a calculation of the costs for the entire motorway and expressway network, working together with the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT) and a working group including international experts. Using a special calculation method, the costs attributable to vehicles over 3.5 t maximum gross weight which are required to pay the tolls were determined, and then allocated to the planned categories (2, 3 and 4 or more axles).

In order to make sure that the emission class based tolling will be introduced in time, ASFINAG launched an implementation project to define the relevant processes and make the necessary adaptations to the technical parts of the Austrian tolling system.