Goodbye, cash! Big changes are coming to Croatian motorways

The Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure has published a draft Toll Collection Law, which is currently open to public consultation until 15 October.

Under the proposed changes,

tolls would only be payable electronically, and it would no longer be possible to pay in cash at toll stations.

This initiative forms part of Croatia’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan and would, for the first time, introduce a single electronic tolling system across the entire motorway network.

 Based on a free-flow model, the new system would eliminate the need for vehicles to stop at toll booths. Instead, payments would be processed using 5.8 GHz microwave technology combined with automatic licence plate recognition.

The use of an in-vehicle device for toll payment would be mandatory for heavy goods vehicles and motorcycles. Light vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tonnes would be able to choose between this device and registration via automatic licence plate recognition.

 According to the government, the reform will simplify travel, reduce congestion, and lower the operational costs of toll collection.  Once adopted, it will also require motorway concessionaires to implement the new electronic system in line with the law.

 A 30-day public consultation on the draft law is now underway via the government’s e-Consultation portal.