BERLIN, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- German transportation minister Manfred Stolpe demanded significant changes Friday to a proposed system for collecting tolls on the Autobahn.
Toll Collect, a consortium of private companies headed by Telekom and Daimler Chrysler, was hired in August to create a toll system in Germany. Its proposals have drawn controversy.
The Deutsche Presse Agentur reports Stolpe said Tuesday if Toll Collect does not improve its offer -- especially in regard to liability -- it should be required to work together with competing companies.
He said a cooperative agreement might allow the toll system to be in place sooner.
Toll Collect's most important competitors for the toll project are Italian toll operator Autostrade and Fela, a Swiss manufacturer of toll-road equipment.
German politicians have criticized Toll Collect strongly.
Albert Schmidt, transportation policy speaker for the German Green Party disparaged the company's latest offer.
"This is a package of impertinences that we should not and cannot accept," he said.
Toll Collect's contract is set to cost German taxpayers about 2.8 billion euros through the end of 2004.
