FRANKFURT, April 22 (Reuters) - The European Union will approve a truck toll joint venture between DaimlerChrysler and Deutsche Telekom on condition the firms open the technology up to competitors, the Financial Times said on Tuesday.
European regulators would approve the venture on Wednesday, the FT said in a report citing people close to the case, but said the companies would be forced to allow rivals to offer telematic services such as navigation systems and real-time traffic information through their platform.
The European Commission said late last year it would launch a probe into the venture to operate a toll collecting system for heavy trucks on German motorways and offer telematic products for their drivers.
It said it was concerned that as DaimlerChrysler was already active in the telematics sector, the venture with Deutsche Telekom could become the predominant platform in what it called an emerging market.
The German government in February approved plans to introduce the system from September, despite EU reservations. It expects to collect 3.5 billion euros ($3.8 billion) a year from trucks rolling over German highways.
The consortium led by the two firms will have a 12-year licence to operate the toll system.
It also includes former competitor Ages, a group led by Vodatfone which holds a minority stake after it lodged a legal complaint.