July 1, 2016, marked three years since the introduction of the electronic toll collection system (e-toll) in Hungary for vehicles with a maximum permissible weight exceeding 3.5 tons. Insufficient knowledge among Polish entrepreneurs regarding the applicable regulations often leads to them incurring unnecessary costs. What are the most common mistakes that result in fines for those using Hungarian road transport?
Paweł Wloczek, Country Manager at WebEye Poland: The most common problem faced by transport companies is a lack of funds in their current HU-GO account, which is the electronic toll collection system in Hungary. In such cases, despite the payment for road usage (data service), the lack of sufficient funds in the account causes the data transmitted by the payer to be rejected by the entity responsible for toll collection – National Toll Payment Services Plc. (NTPS). Such a situation can lead to a fine being imposed on the company. It is in the interest of road users who have more than one vehicle registered under a single current account to monitor their balance regularly, because once funds are exhausted, all vehicles simultaneously cease to be authorized to use the roads. Road users can check their current balance online or by phone through NTPS, and also set a minimum balance amount for their account. Upon reaching the set limit, the system sends them an automatic notification about the low account balance. This is not a default setting, but it is worth using as it helps avoid fines resulting from an insufficient account balance.
Another recurring mistake is providing the incorrect number of vehicle and trailer axles. It is worth paying attention to this setting, as entering the correct values allows a standard 4-axle vehicle to avoid up to three fines within 24 hours – each amounting to 140,000 forints, or nearly 2,000 PLN. The third most common problem stems from the improper installation of so-called On-Board Units (OBU) powered by the cigarette lighter socket. By examining the data received, we see that it is important to travel with a properly installed on-board device. Units can be installed invisibly, under the dashboard, or visibly, by placing the device in the cabin. The latter method is also possible for OBU units. We recommend that the device installation be performed by a specialist. The best solution is to have it done by the manufacturer, distributor, or a service partner for the given device.
A novelty for users of Hungarian roads may be the fact that since April 4 of this year, NTPS has been maintaining a separate register of decertified devices. Freight forwarders should pay attention to receiving related emails. Possessing units that are in this register – as long as they remain on this list – means that they cannot fulfill their obligation to pay road usage fees under the Toll Act.