The impact of heavy transport on Lithuania’s roads and economy: how much does it cost and who pays for it?
We can’t imagine the roads without trucks carrying goods and other cargo. Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) has conducted a study on the impact of heavy goods transport on the road infrastructure, and how much for taxpayers it costs? This time, it’s not about climate impact or CO2e emissions, but about something much easier to measure – money.
According to calculations by KTU researchers, one heavy lorry on a paved road has the same impact as 1,290 cars. That’s a number we barely reach in a year, even though we use the roads every day to get to work and visit our loved ones.
The study clearly shows that the volume of heavy goods vehicles (HGV) on highways and the need for repair of these roads are directly correlated. That’s why the motorways with the highest HGV traffic need the most repairs. The greater the volume of heavy-duty traffic on a road, the poorer its current condition and the more in need of repair it is. At the same time, this study clearly shows that, due to the impact of heavy-duty transport, the most heavily used roads will continue to require ongoing funding for maintenance in the future and it's like a never-ending story: with the usual heavy truck traffic these days, the first damages on the A1 can appear in less than half a year, and instead of the usual 18 to 19 years between repairs, there is only an 8 to 9 year gap, for example, given the heavy traffic loads, the Vilnius–Klaipėda section will statistically require repairs every 8 years, while the Kaunas–Marijampolė–Suvalkai section of the Via Baltica will require repairs every 4.8 years. So we spend money on repairs again, or we drive on rutted, cracked and potholed roads. This is not only unsafe, but also leads to personal costs for car repairs.
What is the economic impact of heavy goods vehicles? The study estimates the damage per kilometre of road for a towing vehicle below the maximum permissible load at 9.6 ct. However, if the load is exceeded, the damage increases disproportionately fast: if at least one axle of the tractor exceeds the permissible limits by 1 tonne, the cost of the damage rises to 10.5 ct/km (+9%); if at least one axle of the tractor exceeds the permissible limits by 2 tonnes, the cost of the damage rises to 11.6 ct/km (+22%); and if at least one axle of the tractor exceeds the permissible limits by 3 tonnes, the cost of the damage increases to 13.1 ct/km (+37%).
In the example above – the A1 (Vilnius-Klaipėda), the damage to the road from a single lorry not exceeding the permissible load is 21 ct/km. Accordingly, if one axle of the towing vehicle exceeds the permissible limits by 1 tonne, the cost of the damage rises to 23 ct/km, 26 ct/km for 2 tonnes and 29 ct/km for 3 tonnes.
Currently, the latest and best quality A5 (Kaunas-Marijampolė-Suwalkai) road has a road damage cost of 36 ct/km per lorry under the maximum permissible load. If at least one axle of the tractor exceeds the limits by 1 tonne, the cost of the damage rises to 39 ct/km, 43 ct/km for a 2 tonne overrun and 49 ct/km for a 3 tonne overrun.
The most important question is: who is paying for road repairs? Heavy goods vehicles, which have 1,290 times more impact on roads than cars, pay only around 12.5-25% of the cost of the wear and tear they cause in road tolls. So who pays the rest – the biggest part – of this price? We, the citizens, the taxpayers. Therefore, the initiatives launched by government agencies to increase focus on truck weight control and curb road damage are to be commended.
Clearly, reducing the number of heavy vehicles on the roads would also reduce their damage, and with it the cost of repairs. The financial effect of this change is not too soon to be felt: for example, the study calculates that a 10% reduction in the volume of heavy vehicles above the permissible weight limit on the A1 (Vilnius-Klaipėda) would save 7.8 million Euros!
Why do we need to talk about it? It’s very simple – you can avoid these costs. Roads can be freer, quieter, safer and in better condition. Less repairs can be done without spending around EUR 600 million annually from the Road Maintenance and Development Programme. All you need to do is to move freight by rail whenever possible. As long as we look only at the short-term benefit of getting goods from A to B faster, we will be the protagonists of the never-ending story – full trucks, damaged roads and costly repairs – helplessly cursing potholes in the roads.
In particular, businesses that choose to transport at least part of their freight by rail have a very positive view of intermodal services. Stable timetables, reliability and the potential to increase competitiveness by reducing CO2e emissions mean that intermodal transport is seen as a strong alternative to road transport, especially when longer distances have to be covered. Unfortunately, as long as the short-term benefits are looked at and the cost of road repairs is pushed into the future, which will come sooner than expected, this alternative is underused.
Now that we know the cost of heavy impacts on roads and what is covering them, we can ask the question: is this situation fair? The answer, knowing that there are alternatives and that the price we pay is avoidable, is negative. It is time to end this never-ending story, and this can be done in two ways: those who cause the most wear and tear on the roads should also bear the cost of repairing them, and wherever possible, freight should be shifted from road to rail.