Privatisation options for the German Autobahn network

Traditional financing of the Autobahns (motorways) through taxationis reaching its limits. For years, the road infrastructure has been used until itwears out. The level of investment in the road network does not match increasingtraffic flows. Without private involvement and firmly earmarked userbasedfinancing, which in the medium term must also include passenger cars,the road infrastructure threatens to become an ever-greater limiting factor ofGermany’s economic development. In this paper three forms of organisation or privatisation options forthe German Autobahn network will be discussed: a public corporation(formal privatisation), the award of concessions (functional privatisation) andsale to private parties (material privatisation).Formal privatisation apparently serves as a powerful expression ofmany aspirations, bringing almost entirely benefits and only a few disadvantages.Such high expectations may well not be fulfilled. The main risk isthat the public corporation would have to take over too many responsibilities andstaff, so that any short-term financial benefits would be offset by future efficiencyshortcomings. This solution per se also does not provide incentives, in the senseof a life cycle philosophy for improved coordination of planning, construction,operation and maintenance...