The ASFINAG (short for "Autobahnen- und Schnellstraßen-Finanzierungs-Aktiengesellschaft" which is German for "Autobahn and highway financing stock corporation") is an Austrian publicly owned corporation which plans, finances, builds, maintains and collects tolls for the Austrian autobahns.[1] The ASFINAG is fully owned by the Austrian government under the responsibility of the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK).
Purpose
ASFINAG was founded on 11 September 1982. In 1997, it was granted an expanded mandate by the government, including responsibility for enforcing statutory tolls. The company holds usufruct rights over the national motorway network, which remains state-owned. ASFINAG operates without direct funding from the state budget and pays dividends to the Republic of Austria.
Fare structure and funding
For 2015, ASFINAG is expecting 1.25 billion euros (£885 Million) from tolls, which are paid by lorries and buses depending on the number of axles and distance travelled on motorways based on tachographs.
Cars (up to 3.5 t max. permitted total weight) and motorbikes contribute a tax called a Vignette