Europe’s network of city streets and interurban roads confront escalating upkeep and modernisation challenges resulting from aging assets as well as constrained public budgets. These challenges are further compounded by revenue collection mechanisms that struggle to keep pace with rapidly shifting vehicle fleets and usage partners. These pressures demand innovative funding mechanisms to ensure continued resilient and sustainable operations.
At the forefront are evolving pricing models impacting the way we pay for the roads we use, and the parking spaces our vehicles occupy. The Netherlands' distance-based truck toll, which launches on 1 July, 2026 exemplifies how targeted levies can fund greener transport while incentivising cleaner fleets through subsidies for electric vehicles and sustainable infrastructure, such as such electric charging networks along key freight corridors. Further on the deployment horizon, usage-based charges offer a supplemental lever to curb congestion, optimise asset allocation, and generate revenues for multimodal integration.
This session draws inspiration from the 2025 Future Roads Funding forum's call for collaborative dialogue, focusing on practical pricing innovation and its implications for road managers. It will explore how digital tools, governance frameworks, and stakeholder partnerships combine to unlock funding streams, bridging operational realities with long-term sustainability goals. By examining real-world implementations, participants will gain actionable insights to advocate for and deploy pricing models that sustain road assets amid fiscally constrained environments.
Ansgar Kauf, Senior Expert in mobility system development and finance/economics
starting my career at the International Road Federation Geneva (1997 – 2007), before working as independent expert in transport project and business development.
I have over 25 years of experience in the road & transport sectors, focusing on infrastructure development, finance and operations (direct user charges & Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs for operations & maintenance (O&M), and sustainable development.
I am particularly experienced in tolling with a special emphasis on sector strategy and the shift from tax to user charge financing, assisting governments in framing private participation in pilot and final projects (Europe: France, Germany, Switzerland, Eastern Europe, Asia (China, India). I have prepared road sector blueprints, (pre-)feasibility studies, user-acceptability assessments.
I frequently work in business development and bids for private companies in light and heavy vehicle tolls and also in Intelligent Transport Systems, including road safety.
I am experienced in knowledge transfer (through international case studies, project bench-marking and best practice), solicited as speaker / trainer for public and private sectors.
I have considerable international exposure and a contact network across Europe (West and East), USA, Asia (China, India, Central Asia) & Caucasus, Africa (North and Sub-Saharan Africa).
Mr. Bruneteau has accumulated 30 years of experience including 28 years of experience of the mobility domain and 19 years of strategic and financial advisory for companies such as Arthur D. Little, BNP Paribas, SFR and TomTom.
He has also become one of the world’s foremost experts of connected mobility and is interviewed on the subject by publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and The Economist. He has spoken at more than 50 related conferences worldwide about topics such as electronic tolling, road usage charging (RUC), MaaS, fleet services, autonomous vehicles, etc.
As PTOLEMUS’ founder, he has helped numerous organisations define their future plans and business cases and implement them including:
• Road operators and tolling / RUC solution providers including Abertis, A-to-Be, Brisa, Egis, Ferrovial, Kapsch, MPTC, Neology, Skytoll, Sofico, Sund & Baelt, Transurban, T-Systems / Satellic, Q-Free, ST Engineering, etc.
• Tolling services providers including Axxès, DKV Mobility, Edenred / UTA, Egis Easytrip, ENI, Kapsch, OMV, Telepass and Via Verde,
• Public and private bodies including AETIS, the Netherlands Department of Transport, CNES, the French space agency, Switzerlands’s Transport Ministry, etc.
In addition, Mr. Bruneteau has co-authored 35 landmark reports on connected mobility & transportation including:
• The Tolling Solutions Global Study (2026),
• The Electronic Tolling Europe Study (2023),
• The Fleet Electrification Global Study (2022)
• The Road Usage Charging USA Report (2022),
• The Electronic Tolling Global Study (2015, 2019 and 2021).
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Laurens Tait is a Director of Arup in the Netherlands responsible for the Transport Market.
The theme that drives Laurens Tait’s work is the continuous development of our understanding of how design and policy influence the (mobility) choices that people make and the influence that these choices have on social / economic / ecological outcomes at architectural / masterplan / city / national scale.
Within that theme, and with more than 20 years working on mobility related projects, Laurens has developed a wealth of experience in a.o. Mobility Planning, Active Mobility, Intelligent Transport Systems, Station design, Highways design, and Pricing Policy.
In relation to Pricing Policy, Laurens has worked on projects that include policy work for the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water during the inception and initial design of the “e-Tol” and Heavy Goods Vehicle Charge (VWH, Vrachtwagenheffing). Laurens has also worked with the Dutch Ministry of Finance (in collaboration with IenW) on the Schematic Design - including reflections on compliance - of an eventual all-vehicle pricing scheme (Pay-for-Use). More recently Laurens and his team have been assisting the RDW in the procurement and delivery supervision of a.o. the VWH Observation Service ahead of Go-Live in 2026.
Michael Leyendecker is an expert in traffic technology and currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Head of Strategy at VITRONIC Machine Vision Middle East, Global Sales Director Road User Charging (RUC).
With over 20 years of experience, he specializes in electronic tolling collection, smart mobility, traffic enforcement, and AI-driven solutions.
He holds a Master's Degree of Arts (M.A.) from the University of Bonn, Germany, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Schiller International University.
Michael has contributed to various high-profile projects that emphasize sustainable transportation systems. Notably, he played a key role in VITRONIC's successful European tender award of the contract for the enforcement of the truck tolling system in the Netherlands, a project run by RDW, the Netherlands Vehicle Authority. VITRONIC will supply and install observation equipment, software, and data processing to ensure compliance with the satellite-based truck toll system set to take effect in 2026. Ongoing services will be provided to RDW for at least 10 years, reinforcing its commitment to innovative toll management solutions.
A frequent speaker at industry conferences, Michael believes that electronic tolling collection can be used as a means of making transport greener.
Steve is the Secretary-General of the Conference of European Directors of Roads (CEDR) which comprises the general directors of national road authorities. CEDR’s role is to enable the networking and provide support and advice on issues concerning the road transport system and its role within the overall transport system.
Arjan van Vliet has 25 years of hands on experience in the mobility sector. He was mainly working on the transfer of innovations into policy and legislation to make transport and logistics more sustainable and safer. He contributed to many international (Twinning) projects in the European member states.
After having worked at the national road vehicle approval and vehicle registration authority (RDW) he moved the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Among others he worked on aviation related topics like hybrid and electric aviation and drones.
Arjan is currently contributing the implementation of heavy-duty vehicle charge in the Netherlands (MAUT). His position is deputy program manager. Arjan has a background in engineering and speaks 5 languages.
