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UPDATE 2-Germany to delay truck road toll scheme-sources

(Adds comment from auto maintenance association, background)

By Markus Wacket

BERLIN, July 29 (Reuters) - Germany plans to put back the effective start of a new truck road toll system by two months until November 1 after widespread doubts about a smooth start to the scheme, sources close to the project said on Tuesday.

The delay comes amid increasing reports of technical problems with the satellite-based tracking equipment used in the planned toll system and follows a decision by the European Union last week to launch a probe into the scheme.

The sources told Reuters the formal launch date on August 31 would be maintained but the two-month period until November 1 would be used for testing and no tolls would be levied.

A Transport Ministry spokesman said the system would be launched on August 31 but declined to comment further.

A spokesman for the German Federation of Motor Trades and Repairs said considerable problems had been experienced with the onboard computers used in the system and there was still a major shortage of the devices.

"The reliable functioning of all the registration equipment cannot be guaranteed," Helmut Bluemer said.

The EU is concerned the system will give local firms an unfair advantage over foreign rivals travelling through Germany and is investigating government plans to compensate German truckers for the extra costs of the new tolls.

Germany's geographical position at the heart of Europe makes the scheme particularly sensitive for foreign truckers and the scheme has been heavily criticised by bodies such as the International Road Transport Union, which says the system is not ready and will penalise operators from outside Germany.

Haulage firms fear the system would cost truckers 150 euros to cross Germany.

The issue is the latest bone of contention between Germany and the European Commission, which last week asked Berlin to suspend a system of charging deposits on non-refillable drink cans and bottles.

GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES

The road toll has been described as a "quantum leap" by the government, which sees the system as one of the most significant reforms to transport policy in recent decades.

A consortium led by DaimlerChrysler and Deutsche Telekom has developed the toll collection system which will apply to trucks weighing more than 12 tonnes.

Onboard computers would allow the toll to be levied without the need for trucks to stop at toll stations. Truckers can also pay through the Internet or manually but these alternatives have been dismissed as impractical by foreign truckers.

The government estimates the toll, set at 12.4 cents per kilometre at first and later rising to 15 cents, should yield about 2.8 billion euros ($3.22 billion) per year.

It has pledged local truckers 600 million euros in subsidies to balance the costs once the toll rises, prompting the EU to open its probe into the scheme.

The EU, which plans a Europe-wide road toll scheme to be used to help fund rail infrastructure and cut congestion in environmentally sensitive areas, said last week its probe should suspend the launch of the entire road toll scheme.

The sources said the delay would cost the government around 320 million euros ($368 million) in lost revenues.

A spokesman for the Toll Collect consortium said the companies stood by their commitment to supply 150,000 onboard computers by the end of August.