Once the critical instrument for the reconstruction of a
Europe dilapidated by war, infrastructure today is increasingly becoming a private-
rather than a public good, where the user pays principle ought to apply. In
this sense, Germany’s road toll plans are in the right direction.
Port competition, for a common European hinterland, is
intensifying as a result of plentiful road infrastructure, much of it in
Germany. Motorways are thus becoming just transit links, with the benefits of costless
infrastructure accruing to the origin (e.g. China) and destination (e.g. Switzerland)
of cargo, rather than to the German taxpayer who is called upon to finance infrastructure
development and maintenance.
The Dutch government ought to study more carefully its
objections to the German road toll plan. The elasticity of demand for Hamburg
port services is three times higher than that of the port of Rotterdam, and a
more expensive use of German motorways could have the effect of
diverting cargo traffic from Hamburg to Rotterdam. And few would mind this in
The Netherlands; or would they?
HE Haralambides
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