Although a woman from Burgenland holds a valid disability card with an additional entry and her vehicle weighs less than 3.5 tonnes, she was required by ASFINAG in February 2026 to pay a replacement toll. The astonishing thing about this is that, under the conditions mentioned, the complainant is actually entitled to a free vignette for motorways and expressways.
The woman concerned then contacted Ombudsperson Christoph Luisser, who was able to clarify the matter within a short time. In a letter, the Ombudsperson called on the Minister for Transport, Peter Hanke, to take action.
In his statement, the Minister acknowledged a “technical system error” in the vehicle registration records. Due to an incorrect entry, the woman could not be granted a free annual vignette.
ASFINAG refunds the replacement toll paid – the cost of purchasing the annual vignette will be reimbursed
Once the database error had been discovered and rectified immediately, the complainant was pleased to receive a refund of the replacement toll she had paid. In addition, the costs she incurred for the motorway vignettes for 2024 and 2025 will be refunded. A free annual vignette for the current year has also been registered for her vehicle.
“I welcome the Ministry of Transport’s swift response and the assurance that the database has been corrected,” said Ombudsperson Christoph Luisser.
