Investigating human rights The annual toll card for these special toll sections costs about 100 euros. Anyone with an annual toll sticker has 40 euros credited towards the annual toll card (Section 13 (3) No. 2 of the Federal Road Tolls Act). A registered owner with a disability pass for a registered permanent serious impairment of mobility receives a free annual toll sticker from the Federal Office for Social Matters and Disabled Persons under Section 13 (2) of the Federal Road Tolls Act. Additional benefits for drivers of vehicles for persons with disabilities are provided by the toll regulation of ASFINAG (a cooperation responsible for planning, building, financing and maintaining Austrian motorways). This group can obtain an annual card for special toll sections for 7 euros. However, one prerequisite for this is that the vehicle be of a type suitable for operation by persons with disabilities or that the authorisation to drive at least be restricted to the operation of a vehicle with an automatic transmission. In addition, this restriction must be recorded on the person’s driver’s licence. No uniform prerequisite for a discount Drivers with disabilities can purchase an annual card for the special toll route on the Brenner motorway (A 13) for 40 euros. If they have an annual toll sticker, the annual card is issued free of charge. Here, the basic prerequisite is that the affected person be able to prove at least 50% disability. The AOB asked the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology for a statement to explain the reasons for these differing access prerequisites. The Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology replied that benefits under the Federal Road Tolls Act are price reductions. On the other hand, benefits under the ASFINAG toll regulation are “incentives to increase traffic safety”. Instead of using mountain roads, most of which are difficult to drive on, the tunnel sections on the special toll routes shall be used. For this reason, the issuance of this discounted annual card is limited to the small group of persons who drive a vehicle adapted for persons with disabilities, or use a standard car with an automatic transmission and possess a driver’s licence that restricts the authorisation to drive to this type of vehicle. No other persons with disabilities meet the access prerequisites for this “traffic safety measure”, even if they have a disability pass. The different and simpler prerequisites for benefits relating to the Brenner motorway are of historical origin, according to the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology. AOB suggests free passes 80 The AOB found that the disparate treatment of persons with disabilities on different special toll sections is objectively difficult to understand and that the provisions are unclear. Therefore, it suggested that the existing provisions be simplified and proposed that annual cards for persons with disabilities be issued, without charge, to persons with an annual sticker on all special toll sections – similar to the provision for the Brenner motorway. In addition to current beneficiaries, all registered owners with a disability pass for a registered permanent serious impairment of mobility under Section 13 (2) of the Federal