Vehicles subject to electronic toll - holiday journeys with the viaTOLL system

viaTOLL is an electronic toll collection system that in Poland covers highways, expressways and national roads. Find out which vehicles are subject to mandatory electronic toll. This is especially important knowledge during holiday trips.

Which driveways are subject to mandatory electronic tolling?

The viaTOLL system requires the purchase of an appropriate viaBOX device and registration in a specially prepared system. This makes it possible to pay for journeys. During the holiday season, when the number of road traffic increases, you should remember about the details related to the operation of this system. The viaTOLL system is valid on roads managed by GDDKiA. For which vehicles and under what conditions is it necessary to pay an electronic toll?

You should know that all vehicles with a total weight exceeding 3.5 tons are required to use the viaTOLL system. These include, among others, buses, trucks and vehicle combinations weighing more than 3.5 tons.

For vehicles weighing less than 3.5 tonnes, drivers are given the choice of using the electronic toll system. In the case of mandatory tolls on motorways, drivers of passenger vehicles, goods vehicles and minibuses not exceeding the above-mentioned limit may pay in a traditional or electronic way. It is worth mentioning that using the electronic option does not exclude the possibility of passenger car drivers paying tolls in a traditional way in the future.

The payment sections vary depending on the vehicle category. In the case of passenger vehicles up to 3.5 tons, in Poland payments apply only on sections of the A2 and A4 motorways. However, in the case of trucks, the list is much longer. Before setting off on a route, a professional driver driving a vehicle with a total weight exceeding 3.5 tons should carefully check the list of such roads. In the current pandemic reality, he should also check the restrictions and required transport documents in Europe.

What is the difference between viaTOLL and eTOLL electronic toll collection systems?

In addition to the viaTOLL system, there is also an even more modern eTOLL system. It is worth knowing what the differences are between them. eTOLL is a system based on satellite positioning. Like viaTOLL, it will be used to collect tolls on toll roads, but its operation will be even more digitized. The eTOLL system will provide users with the following functions:

• current insight into payment history and the ability to manage your account,
• online service without the need to personally visit Customer Service Locations,
• collecting all relevant data and documents in one place.

The eTOLL system will be supervised by the Head of the National Tax Administration. Similarly to the viaTOLL system, eTOLL will apply on roads managed by GDDKiA. Apart from improved communications and the satellite positioning system, most of the principles remain the same under the new system. The electronic toll will continue to apply to passenger vehicles, goods vehicles and minibuses with a total weight of up to 3.5 tons only on selected sections of motorways. However, the toll system will also cover drivers of trucks, other vehicles and vehicle combinations with a total weight exceeding 3.5 tons on many other toll roads. It is worth mentioning that the parallel operation of both systems will last until September 30, 2021. This is when the transition period lasts, allowing for the efficient change of equipment in transport companies. After this date, the only system available will be e-TOLL.

If a transport company is not sure what the eTOLL electronic toll collection system looks like in the regulations, we recommend consulting OCRK experts. The company conducts comprehensive training in the field of changes introduced by the new system, as well as issues arising from the currently introduced mobility package, affecting, among others, while drivers are working.