Tolls and Fees

 

In addition to the cost of the means of transportation, travellers also need to pay various tolls, taxes and fees. If moving from one state into another, travellers will also likely need to acquire a visa which can be time consuming and expensive.

Road and Bridge Tolls

Roads and bridges are enormously expensive public works that require a great deal of time, effort and money to construct, maintain and secure. Virtually everywhere on Tear, the money to fund this critical infrastructure is gathered by tolling.

Any settlement that has lodging available for rent is generally obligated to also collect road and bridge tolls from travellers on behalf of the state. In the smallest settlements, this might be handled by the proprietors of the stables or the lodging (which are often the same place). In larger settlements, this business will be conducted at guardposts on the major roads leading in and out of town.

On departing a settlement, travellers must pay for a 'tin chit', which is a stamped metal token that they must show to any passing guards they meet on their way to their stated destination. The cost of the chit will depend on the distance and also the number of bridges between destinations. The chit must be relinquished on arrival to the destination, and another one aquired for the next leg of the journey from there.

As an alternative to making incremental payments in exchange for tin chits along each leg of a journey, travellers can pay in adavnce of a journey to purchase travel permits, which are paper documents drafted by the authorities granting unlimited access to public roads and bridges within a region and timeframe specified on the permit. For any group of travellers larger than a dozen or so, a travel permit might be more convenient than many individual tin chits, however if the group becomes separated or decide to split up, those without a permit will be in violation of the law and will be subject to fines (or worse). For very large groups, such as caravans, the group may be offered a discount, and may even be granted some limited felxibility in terms of the number of individuals covered by the permit.

Finally, the inhabitants of a given area are generally allowed to use some certain roads and bridges without needing to pay tolls. The midwife who lives on the farm over the bridge 2km outside of the village is not expected to have to pay to cross the bridge and use the road every time her services are needed. Such cases can be managed informally, as most locals know one another, or it may be handled by issuing specially marked tin chits to any local individuals who require them.

Gate Tolls

Most cities, and even many large towns, will have walled fortifications and gates. The walls and gates are there for a reason - they are not just for military defence, but also to control the flow of trade, information, people, livestock (and any diseases they may carry). Passing through the gates of a city is a luxury, not a privilege - and it is a luxury that must be paid for. WHile these fees are referred to as 'gate fees' they may be collected by cities and large towns regardless of whether or not their is a physical gate or wall (though most will have a fortification of some kind. Additionally, these fees are also levied at the docks by the harbourmaster on anyone disembarking from an arriving ship or boat.

Those who live or work within the walls will be issued a pass or token grating them free entry, and those entering on invitation of the civic authority are likewise exempted from the fee.

Borders, Visas and Tariffs

Crossing the border into a foreign state (one in which you are not a citizen, resident or tenant) requires permission, which is usually granted in the form of a paid visa. The purpose of a visa from the perspective of the state is to ensure they are aware and in control of who is entering their borders for what purpose. The purpose of a visa from the point of view of travellers is to have their rights (or a subset of them) recognized by the state they are visiting.

A citizen, resident or tenant of one state, entering a foreign state with a visa will maintain many of the rights (economic and legal) granted to them by their home state. A citizen, resident or tenant entering without a visa is effectively an outsider in the new state, leaving them with very few rights under the law. So while acquiring a visa might be an expensive bureaucratic hassle, it is always worth it.

To gain an entry visa, travellers must declare themselves at a border outpost by providing proof of identity and a reason for why they wish to enter. Depending on the state, and on the relations between the state and the home state of the traveller there may be more or less strict policies as to who might be granted a visa, and why.

Generally, citizens and residents travelling for trade, specifically those dealing in the import or export of valuable goods, will be welcomed provided their identity documentation and manifests are in order. Similarly, persons travelling on official business for a faction will usually be welcome, particularly if the faction has operations inside the state being entered.

Conversely, persons who are 'just passing through' will be treated with suspicion. Such persons may be asked to provide a letter of invitation from a citizen, resident or faction in the state, or they may simply be denied entry entirely. Also, persons who practice a trade or profession that is heavily protected or restricted in a state may be denied entry, and persons seeking to import or export goods that could devalue similar goods produced internally may be required to pay high tariffs, or be denied entry entirely.

Once declarations are made and documentation is assessed, border guards will determine the fees associated with any visa being granted and will prepare the documents, which will be signed and sealed and given to the traveller to be kept on their person at all times. The process can be time consuming, and it is always a good idea to send advance notification of ones intention to cross a border so the basics of the paperwork can be prepared in advance. This good faith approach to attempted border crossing generally helps ingratiate one to some extent with the border guards, making unwarranted denial of entry less common.

Note that it can happen that a traveller is denied entry passing from one foreign state into another foreign state, and then denied entry again when trying to return - leaving them effectively trapped on the border between two states that won't let them in. This is a terrible, and highly undesirable situation, which can end in the confiscation of property, the abrogation of a person's rights, prolonged incarceration, and even summary sentencing to penal labour or worse. For this reason, when attempting to cross from one foreign state to another, it is a good idea to be very confident that at least one of the two states (and preferably both) will welcome you.

Note that a citizen, resident or tenant cannot be denied re-entry into their home state provided they are able to present the proper identification.