The Ministry has announced a technology neutral competition for the toll system after 201915/6/2017|Press releasesBidders can register in a new tender for the road toll on Czech motorways and class I roads. The Ministry of Transport has issued, in accordance with the Government's resolution, issued an invitation to tender for the toll system operator after 2019. The estimated contract price is almost CZK 29 billion excluding VAT for 10 years. "We continue correcting the mistakes in the toll selection left by the previous governments. First, we unblocked the situation to make it possible for the state to announce a competition at all. We agreed with the existing operator on contract changes and paved the way for announcing a technology-neutral competition to which all businesses that are interested in toll collection are eligible," said Transport Minister Dan Ťok. For the first time since the problematic selection and conclusion of the contract and controversial amendments to the toll delivery and operation between 2005 and 2007, there is now a transparent and open tender procedure that does not specify whether a specific technology for toll collection from trucks shall be used. Only the evaluation of the whole competition will show if the microwave or satellite system wins. "The range of the toll will be extended by 2020 to another 900.3 kilometres of class I roads, according to the government's decision. Altogether, the new toll operator would have to charge fees for 1347 km of motorways and 1141 km of class I roads," the minister explains. The total expected price of the 10-year contract is worth almost CZK 29 billion. To sign up for the tender, the candidates will have the following two months. The evaluation of the competition and the conclusion of the contract is expected until August 2018, the Ministry of Transport assumes. The year-on-year toll collection from trucks has been growing. Nearly 10 billion CZK were collected in 2016, and only during less than half of this year the toll collection has grown by almost 4 percent. The current management of the ministry, led by Dan Ťok, has handled with the fact that the contract with the existing system operator did not foresee its end after ten years or the handover of the system to a new operator. This has now been solved, the contract has been modified, it has been extended to a maximum of three years and a new transparent competition has been announced. 1. The Ministry of Transport fulfills the government's mandate and announced the toll tender in advance 2. The tendency does not favour any technology – satellite or microwave 3. Parameters The price will be determined in the competition, estimated value CZK 29 billion operation for 10 years (until 2029) extension of the toll by 900 km – the government has decided on the scope 4. The Ministry of Transport corrected the defect of the previous contract, allowed the system to be handed over and announced the tender; the previous governments did not touch such preparations 5. Next steps applicants have two months to enter the competition and prove qualifications The Ministry of Transport will negotiate with all entities who qualify bid evaluation and contracting by August 2018 preparation of the toll system and start of operation from 2020