Last year, the Flemish Tax Administration (VLABEL) issued more than 47,000 fines to trucks that were not in compliance with road pricing regulations. This generated 17,98 million euros in revenue.
In eight out of ten cases, the drivers were foreign, mainly from the Netherlands, France, Poland, Germany, and Spain.
Automatically via cameras
Foreign transporters, especially, still violate the system, even though they represent only a small minority of the 740,000 unique trucks that drive through Flanders each year. In other words, the vast majority of truck drivers and transport companies follow the rules and contribute to the system.
Dutch drivers were fined most often (7,585 fines). That accounts for one-fifth of all foreign fines. France ranks second (5,417 fines), followed by Poland (4,599), Germany (4,329), and Spain (2,897).
VLABEL conducts checks using mobile inspection teams, fixed and mobile inspection systems along motorways, and anonymous vehicles equipped with ANPR cameras. No less than 99,7% of all detections are made fully automatically via cameras.
Fines up to €1000
The system uses an On Board Unit (OBU) in the truck to record the kilometers driven on toll roads. The transport company then pays per kilometer, depending on weight and emission class.
Fines are issued if, for example, there is no OBU in the truck or there is no contract with the provider (€800), the OBU is switched off or defective or is used incorrectly, and no payment is made for the kilometers driven (€500), or if there is fraud or manipulation (€1000).
According to Flemish Minister of Budget Ben Weyts (N-VA), “strict enforcement is a matter of fairness to all those transporters who follow the rules and pay correctly.
Trucks are simply a heavy burden on the roads. The proceeds from the kilometer charge will go towards record investments in our roads,” the Minister says.
However, the biggest problem is not the number of violations but collecting fines from foreign transport companies. Sometimes a vehicle only drives through Belgium once, so blocklisting is of little use, or the owner is difficult to identify.
Furthermore, foreign collection can sometimes be complex. Since 2021, for example, there have been around 14 million euros in outstanding fines for violations of the kilometer charge, of which approximately 13 million euros are attributable to foreign offenders.
At present, VLABEL has no possibility of international recovery assistance for a mileage tax fine. However, the planned implementation and ratification of the EUCARIS agreements (European Car and Driving License Information System) will enable real-time exchange of data on vehicles and driving licenses between the national institutions responsible for vehicle registration.
In addition, the federal government intends to work on new bilateral treaties with other EU countries soon.
Over €1 billion in revenue
The kilometer charge for foreign transporters for trucks weighing more than 3,5 tons was introduced in 2016. Last year, it once again generated more than a billion euros in Belgium.
In 2025, the toll generated 691,8 million euros in Flanders, 357,4 million euros on Wallonia, and 10,8 million euros in Brussels.
For Belgium as a whole, this amounts to 1,060 million euros, compared to 1,016 billion euros in 2024.
From July, the Flemish kilometer charge for trucks will take into account the vehicle’s CO2 emissions—the more environmentally friendly the truck, the lower the rate.
