Toll (fee)

In Europe, the road toll goes back to the practice of the Germanic tribes, who charged fees to travellers if they wanted to cross over mountain passages.

Another form of road tax was Liniengeld, which had to be paid when entering the city of Vienna from the beginning of the 18th century.

When the vehicle passes a roadside toll reader device, a radio signal from the reader triggers the transponder, which transmits back an identifying number which registers the vehicle's use of the road, and an electronic payment system charges the user the toll.

A major advantage is the driver does not have to stop, reducing traffic delays.

The payment system usually requires users to sign up in advance and load money into a declining-balance account, which is debited each time they pass a toll point.