FRANKFURT -- Delays to the launch of Germany's troubled road truck toll scheme could lose the Toll Collect consortium revenues of about 240 million euros ($282.7 million) this year, consortium partner DaimlerChrysler said on Monday.
The Toll Collect consortium, comprising DaimlerChrysler, Deutsche Telekom and France's Cofiroute, have developed a satellite based toll system, but repeated delays to the introduction of the technology have sparked speculation about related costs and damages claims. "The highest possible sum that the consortium could lose in terms of revenues this year is 240 million euros," said a DaimlerChrysler spokesman.
He noted that as a 45 percent partner in the consortium, Daimler itself could reckon on lost revenues of about 100 million euros this year.
The toll system was due to start at the end of August but technical problems have made the launch unlikely before next year.
"Money will only start flowing from the government to the consortium once the toll starts," said a spokesman for Deutsche Telekom, declining to comment on the amount in question.
The German government is also negotiating with Toll Collect over liabilities from the delayed launch. Toll Collect developed the satellite-based toll system, which uses laser and mobile telecoms technology to track the movement of trucks around Germany's highways.
The delays are also depriving the government of 156 million euros in revenues a month.
