Austria’s haulage and coach operators are facing an acute cost crunch as diesel prices hover around €2.05 per litre—27 cents higher than petrol—according to a segment aired on ORF’s “Aktuell nach Fünf” news magazine on 9 October. Industry representatives interviewed by the broadcaster said that fuel now accounts for nearly 40 % of operating expenses, up from 29 % a year ago, forcing companies to add surcharges to freight and passenger contracts. The Austrian Association of Forwarders (AÖSp) warned that many small and medium-sized carriers could be pushed into insolvency unless relief is forthcoming. Larger players with international fleets are coping by refuelling in neighbouring countries where taxes are lower, but domestic delivery specialists lack that option. The government extended a 1.9-cent excise reduction for another month, yet operators say the cut is dwarfed by wholesale price spikes linked to refinery maintenance outages in Central Europe and tight diesel supply from global markets. The knock-on effects are already visible in corporate mobility budgets. Several relocation firms told Global Mobility News they had increased mileage rates for household-goods moves by 8 % effective immediately, while taxi and ride-share companies in Vienna and Graz are petitioning municipal authorities for fare-table adjustments before the Christmas travel peak. Experts anticipate that logistics costs could feed into general inflation just as wage negotiations in the transport sector begin in November. Employers planning to move staff or goods within Austria over the winter should lock in fixed-price quotes early and consider multimodal alternatives such as rail freight where feasible. Although global oil markets show signs of stabilising, analysts at Bank Austria predict that diesel will remain at a premium over petrol until spring 2027, prolonging cost pressures on the country’s mobility ecosystem.
Source: ORF (Aktuell nach Fünf)
