Spanish Government Delays 2024 Nationwide Toll Charges
Spain News
Published: 09 January 2023 16:17 CET
Spain’s government has announced that it will not introduce planned toll charges to national roads in 2024 due to the current financial crisis.
This decision was made despite the pressure coming from Brussels, who wants Spain to implement the system on its dual carriageways and highways, just like other EU member states such as France, Germany, and Portugal.
Spain had agreed to introduce the measure in 2024, in return for receiving 70 billion euros of EU Covid-recovery funding. However, the government said that it doesn’t want to put further burden on people when they are already suffering financially due to the cost of living crisis.
In fact, the government said, “it is not a matter that right now is a priority and urgent.”
Government sources have confirmed that the European Commission has been informed of the decision and that they “understand” that with high inflation and rising prices, “this is not the time” to further burden taxpayers.
The payment mechanism for using the highways is included in the ‘Transformation and Resilience Plan’ that Spain has given to the EU and states that “it is necessary to develop a pay-per-use system for the high-capacity road network that allows maintenance costs to be covered.”
Although the system will not be rolled out on January 1, 2024, work to prepare for the roll-out of the new tolls may still get underway. The Ministry of Transport will also continue to work with the local governments and politicians, as well as the transport sector in order to decide which toll model best suits Spain.
The General Directorate of Highways (DGT) has paid consultancy firm Ineco 1.4 million euros to explore nine options for a new highways financing scheme.
Their report will evaluate exactly what payment system will be used and whether charges should apply solely to state highways, or should be extended to regional roads, or possibly every road in Spain.
Charge levels will also be reviewed in order to find a solution that will not harm those who are most financially vulnerable.
Although the plans have been put on hold for now, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez remains committed to installing tolls on high-capacity roads, a measure he says “is designed to balance the accounts and curb the annual deficit caused by road maintenance.”
Sources
https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2023/01/06/spain-postpones-introduction-of-nationwide-road-toll-charges-in-2024/
https://spanishnewstoday.com/no_dual_carriageway_tolls_in_spain_at_the_beginning_of_2024_1963315-a.html
