Martin Schmidt leads TRANSCO in Rümlang
Sep 3, 2026 at 12:44 PM
With R-PASS, Alsace will have its own distance-based truck toll starting in early 2027. Toll4Europe is preparing to integrate the new French toll area into its European EETS solution. Trucks over 3.5 tons on key transit routes between Germany, France, and Switzerland are affected.
According to its own statements, Toll4Europe is already working with R-PASS Opérateur SAS and the Collectivité européenne d’Alsace on the integration of the new toll system. R-PASS is set to be introduced on January 1, 2027, and generally applies to goods vehicles with a technically permissible total weight of more than 3.5 tons.
The new charge particularly affects the important north-south connections for international freight traffic in Alsace. The toll network includes the non-concession sections of the A35 and A36 outside the Eurométropole Strasbourg, as well as the RD83 between Colmar and Sélestat, the RD1363, RD502, and RD504.
Reaction to diversion traffic
The background for the introduction includes the increasing truck diversion traffic from Germany to Alsace. According to the Collectivité européenne d’Alsace, the significant increase in the German truck toll has particularly led to additional traffic diversion. Since the beginning of 2024, around 1,470 additional transit trucks have been registered daily on the A35 compared to 2023. In 2023, 51 percent of truck traffic on the A35 and A36 was attributed to transit trips.
The amount of the R-PASS charge is based on vehicle class and emissions. The approved average rate is around 0.15 EUR per kilometer, according to the French transport association FNTR. Exceptions are provided for various vehicle and user groups.
An OBU for multiple toll systems
For regularly internationally operating fleets, billing through the European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) will be possible. This allows accredited providers to integrate the French regional toll into existing on-board units. Occasional users can alternatively purchase a digital R-PASS ticket. The corresponding online platform and app are expected to be available from January 1, 2027.
Toll4Europe intends to include R-PASS in its existing European toll offering. The company already provides billing for various toll systems in numerous European countries with its OBU, including Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, and since July 2026, also the Netherlands.
For Swiss transport companies, R-PASS is particularly significant for traffic through Basel and Alsace towards northern France, Benelux, and Germany. With the integration into EETS systems, it is intended to avoid the need for a separate on-board unit for the additional toll area.
