Czech court rejects Autostrade toll suit - agency

PRAGUE, Oct 17 (Reuters) - A regional court in the Czech city of Brno rejected a law suit by Italy's Autostrade <AUTS.MI> against the results of a tender to build a highway toll system, the CTK news agency reported on Tuesday.

The decision allows Austria's Kapsch to continue building the system, due to start operating in January, after a halt ordered by the court last week.

Autostrade sought to overrule a decision by the Czech anti-monopoly watchdog (UOHS) which had upheld Kapsch as the winner of a Transport Ministry tender.

Court officials were not immediately available for comment.

Autostrade and two other bidders were eliminated from the tender, leaving Kapsch as the winner despite having the third best offer in terms of price among four bidders.

Kapsch had offered to build the system for 22 billion crowns ($973.9 million), including value added tax. Without tax, the Kapsch offer stands at 18.57 billion crowns.

Autostrade had no immediate comment on the court decision, which can be appealed at the High Administrative Court.

The Czechs are hoping to raise extra budget funds and at the same time limit truck traffic through the introduction of the toll system, which will apply to trucks weighing 12 tonnes and over.

The Transport Ministry expects net revenues of 2.8 billion crowns next year, as the system is phased in on highways and main state roads and paid for, and gross annual revenues at 8 billion crowns in latter years.

((Reporting by Jan Lopatka, editing by David Cowell; prague.newsroom@reuters.com; Reuters Messaging: jan.lopatka.reuters.com@reuters.net; +420-224 190 474)) ($1=22.59 Czech Crown)

Keywords: TRANSPORT CZECH TOLL