France ponders a car tax to fund road maintenance

French transport minister Elisabeth Borne is considering a tax on new cars to boost funds for road maintenance, according to media reports. Media reports that the country, once the top-ranked country for the condition of its roads, has dropped to seventh place due to issues over maintenance leading to an increased risk to users.
December 20, 2017 Read time: 1 min
French transport minister Elisabeth Borne is considering a tax on new cars to boost funds for road maintenance, according to media reports.


Media reports that the country, once the top-ranked country for the condition of its roads, has dropped to seventh place due to issues over maintenance leading to an increased risk to users.

A new car tax between €75-125 per vehicle – there are nearly 9 million cars in France - could generate an estimated €3-billion annually.

A car tax is one of several options for the government which will publish its preferences in January.

Other options are an increase in petrol tax and the introduction of a per-kilometre charge for both trucks and cars.

Road Structures

Related Content

  • India’s road to safety
    September 5, 2012
    India's growth rate is the envy of the world, and its infrastructure is rapidly improving, but its road safety record is the world's worst. Patrick Smith reports on a conference aimed at finding answers to the problems Ambling through the gardens and marble magnificence that is the Taj Mahal or gazing down on the city of Jaipur from the hilltop Jaigarh Fort is far removed from the world outside.
    Read More
  • Norway’s Statens Vegvesen is to invest €14 billion in new roads
    February 16, 2018
    Norway’s public roads administrator - Statens Vegvesen – said it will invest €13.8 billion in new roads over the next six years. The investment is part of the national transport plan - Nasjonal Transportplan. The Administration states that it will require about €4.3 billion in tolling fees, excluding other tolling fees from projects headed by Norwegian road construction company Nye Veier. Terje Moe Gustavsen, road director at Statens Vegvesen, said that around €3 billion will be earmarked for environment
    Read More
  • Norway: landslide closes bridge amid concerns for infrastructure
    February 12, 2015
    A bridge carrying one of Norway’s busiest motorways remains closed after a major earth slide severely damaged its supporting columns this week. The bridge closure comes as Norway’s Public Roads Administration said it is concerned about the condition of 104 bridges throughout the country, although they remain safe to use. Two of the foundation pillars of the bridge at Holmestrand, along the Highway E-18 through Vestfold County, were affected and dropped a span by up to 1.5m, creating a severe dip and crack
    Read More
  • Funding the future for road development
    May 11, 2018
    Once again the spectre of future road funding has raised its ugly head. The US administration has announced plans for a massive redevelopment programme for its crumbling infrastructure network. However, as the American Road Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has so succinctly pointed out in a recent report, how to pay for the work has yet to be established. This has been backed up by US transport expert Robert Poole of the Reason Foundation, as he recently commented, “…the way we fund and manage th
    Read More

Highlighted Content