You cannot go camping without a viaBox

You cannot go camping without a viaBox

From this year on, passenger cars with caravans were to be exempt from paying the e-toll. However, this did not happen.

In Poland, every car with a permissible total weight of more than 3.5 tons and traveling on the toll road network must have a viaBox installed - a toll collection device. Unfortunately, this also applies to vehicle combinations, e.g. a car with a trailer, if the total permissible total weight of such a combination is higher than 3.5 tonnes.

Caravans were not released

When the regulations were introduced, controversy was aroused by the information that this rule should also apply to caravans. Some politicians then spoke of a bug that will be quickly fixed. To the detriment of the fees, they do not apply to caravans in many European countries. This is e.g. in Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria. And if so, then the fees in Poland may scare away many tourists who will easily avoid a country so hostile for caravanning enthusiasts on their route.

Unfortunately, such arguments did not convince the employees of the Ministry of Transport, Construction and Maritime Economy, who decided that the change would reduce the state budget too much. Ultimately, therefore, the act was not changed.

Well, Poles - unlike foreign tourists - do not have much choice. Unless the alternative is to use only toll-free roads. However, there are more and more of these paid. On March 30, their network expanded by another 160 kilometers. The map of toll routes has been joined by, among others fragments of expressways S7, S8, S19 and national roads No. 4, 7 and 79. Together with these sections, the system already covers about 2,190 kilometers of roads.

It is worth emphasizing that the payment applies to both highways and expressways, as well as selected national roads.

What do you need to know about the viaBox?

Receipt of the viaBox requires a deposit of PLN 120. The deposit is returnable - this means that you can rent a viaBox, e.g. for the holiday period, and then return it and recover the payment. After receiving the device, stick it on the inside of the windshield of your vehicle using the plasters provided in the package. The device uses batteries and does not need to be connected to an electrical outlet.

During registration, a user account is created for each user to which his vehicle is assigned. It is a pre-paid account, which means you need to top up it first. During the trip, each fee charged reduces your account balance. The device beeps when your balance reaches a dangerously low level.

The amount of the toll depends on the permissible total weight of the vehicle and the exhaust emissions of a specific model, as well as the standard of the road to which the toll applies.

ViaBOX can only be used in one specific vehicle for which the registration was performed. If the device is stolen, inform the customer service center immediately.

ViaBox can be ordered and registered via the website www.viatoll.pl and at selected petrol stations.

From the driver's point of view, the electronic toll collection system has only one advantage. When using the motorways, the toll is charged automatically, so the driver does not waste time paying for the trip at the next gates.

The rate of electronic toll for national roads of A and S class or their sections, on which electronic toll is collected

You can find more about the road traffic regulations and tolls in Europe in our Traffic Regulations section