The Senate provision is not at all clear about what kind of tolls could be imposed and on which kind of roads. The ambiguity in the Senate bill raises questions. According to FHWA officials, the toll provisions in today's legislation are extensions of the 1991 law and concentrate on variable, rather than fixed, pricing systems. And they insist that the tolls are fair because they charge what the market will bear. Mr. Leoni believes the fact that toll roads are generally well maintained is only a slight advantage.
Some truckers accept tolls, although with reservations.
Edward H. Arnold, chairman of Lebanon, Pa.- based Arnold Industries and chairman of the ATA Tax Policy Committee, generally has no problem with them. He hopes, however, that as long as tolls go up, there's a quid pro quo reduction in fuel taxes. He believes the way tolls are imposed makes a lot of difference on how they affect a trucking company. A complicating factor is the autonomy of some tollway authorities, which operate independently from their state legislatures. He cited Pennsylvania's Turnpike Authority as an example.