An Austrian trade union has called for some revenue generated by road tolls to be reinvested in roadside facilities for drivers.
The proposition was made by the Vida trade union on the occasion of truck driver’s day in Austria.
A regional representative of the union told the Austrian press on Wednesday that it is an “unacceptable situation” that truck drivers at many rest areas cannot even go to the toilet.
In addition, the union stresses that when there are motorway service facilities for drivers, the catering and shopping options are often prohibitively expensive.
To try to address these issues, Vida is proposing a “social toll” that would provide income for new facilities with parking, shelter and affordable food. The proposition would see a small proportion of the truck toll revenue donated to a cooperative that takes care of such infrastructure projects.
Reinhard Stemmer, who represents Vida’s Voralberg branch, told orf.at:
“The billions in revenue from the toll are due to the work performed by the drivers, so it should go without saying that these funds should also be used to improve working and general conditions.”
Stemmer also called for the minimum monthly salary to be increased from the current €1,700 to at least €2,000. The trade union representative adds that improving working conditions could help alleviate Austria’s driver shortage.
