Kapsch TrafficCom Last Bidder for Major Project in Slovenia

Kapsch TrafficCom Last Bidder for Major Project in Slovenia / Picture: © Kapsch AG

At a public tender of state-owned highway operator DARS, which closed on Friday, Kapsch ‑ as the only bidder ‑ placed an offer of almost € 210m, Slovenian news agency STA reported.

DARS now has 60 days to decide wether or not to take the offer. However, since there is only one bidder, a decision before the deadline is expected. The tender was the second one already for the electronic “free float” toll system for trucks. The first tender from August 2011 was stopped by the former center-right government after it had been prolonged more than six times. At that time it was declared that because of the unfavorable economic and financial circumstances an investment in a new toll system was unreasonable.

Even with the current tender, which was published in February 2013, there were difficulties. Before the deadline three notices of appeal were forwarded to the public audit committee. According to STA, more than two of them have not been decided on.

The current toll payment system for trucks is according to a report of economy newspaper “Finance” is unreliable since at around 10 % of the Slovenian highway network trucks drive for free. With the truck toll, DARS earned € 156m last year. The total revenue of the highway operator came to € 316m. For cars there is a system of vignettes.