ON HOLD: Spain Rules Out Imposing Tolls On All Highways Until Inflation Falls
Spain News
Published: 24 August 2022 15:11 CET
Spain’s Government has announced that it will not be imposing motorway tolls until the current rate of inflation has been reduced.
The Ministry of Transport had previously proposed the implementation of the tolls in an agreement signed with Brussels in exchange for EU funding of more than 70 Billion Euros.
The Government’s plans involved implementing a system on all highways that would charge drivers between three and five cents per kilometre with the money set aside to help maintain the country's road network.
However, Raquel Sánchez, head of the department has now questioned the timing of the new system which was initially planned for 2024.
When asked about the rollout of the new tolls system in an interview with TVE, Sánchez said, "Given the current circumstances, perhaps now is not the most propitious moment.”
In 2022, the costs to maintain the roads were estimated to be around 1.371 billion Euros, equating to 56% of the total budget dedicated to roads.
The Spanish government has previously stated that the maintenance of the network is continuing to increase and that the bill can no longer be assumed by the national budget.
With Spain’s rate of inflation currently sitting at around 10.8%, there are fears that family budgets are already at breaking point due to the recent rise in petrol and energy bills. Increasing the cost of driving a vehicle, which many people depend on for work, could add further misery to millions of Spanish households.
The public consultancy firm Ineco was chosen by the Mitma General Directorate of Highways to study the new financing system for the State highway network, with their review set to take place in the fourth quarter of 2023.
The proposals will be based on the premise that the new toll payment mechanism will mean that the “polluter pays”.
The Ineco report must detail whether they propose a new vignette/sticker style system like in Switzerland and Austria where drivers are charged based on the time they want to drive on the roads, or a tolls system which is already present on Spanish roads, charging motorists for the distance they travel.
They will also have to indicate the scope of the new toll system such as the roads it will be applied to as well as the potential impact on mobility, pollution and road safety.
Source
https://www.lainformacion.com/espana/gobierno-descarta-peajes-autovias-bajar-inflacion/2872673/
