Spanish government confirms drivers must pay to use roads

Spanish government confirms drivers must pay to use roads

Spanish government confirms drivers must pay to use roads. Photo: wikipedia

The Spanish government has confirmed that drivers must pay to use roads

Sergio Vazquez, Spain’s Secretary-General for Infrastructure, during a forum organised by Ser in Galicia on the morning of Tuesday, October 19, confirmed that there will definitely be charges for using the road system of Spain. The charge will not be called a toll though he stressed.

“I would not call it a toll in the first place. We are talking about how we are going to implement a charging system. And I would not call it a toll because when people talk about tolls they think of rates similar to those of the motorways that are paid today”, stated Vazquez.

He continued, “No, it makes sense that there is this void, and that the maintenance and conservation of the infrastructure continue to be paid for with the taxes of all Spaniards who have more urgent needs such as social policies”.

This topic is nothing new. In May, the Government already had a first evaluation of the price that it is considering charging as a soft toll on Spanish highways from 2024. According to Cadena SER, the Executive, in the legal draft that he is already preparing, is working with a price of one euro cent per kilometre travelled.

In practical terms, would mean that, for example:

• A trip from Madrid to Valencia would entail a surcharge of €3.50

• A journey from Madrid to Barcelona would imply a toll of €6.40, similar to a trip to Cadiz

• A journey from Madrid to A Coruña would mean paying €5.90

Back in May, there were two models on the table to be discussed. The first one, the Swiss or German model, was almost immediately ruled out. This system charges the driver a kind of flat rate.

The second model is the one used in Portugal, and is the preferred system of the Spanish government. As sources from the State Secretariat for Infrastructure point out, with this model, drivers basically pay for the number of kilometres they travel.

Initially, the government proposed to only charge on the so-called ‘high capacity’ roads. But now, the door has been opened that will allow each autonomous community to charge on all of their regional roads, using the funds raised to finance themselves, as reported by lavozdealmeria.com.

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Written by

Chris King

Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com

Comments


    • Renato Besomi

      21 October 2021 • 00:32

      First they abandon the tolls and afterwoods it will be another toll. Why do we pay road tax?
      The Swiss model is actually the best one as one buys the sticker to put on the windscreen at the beginning of the Year. You can drive on all the motorways as long as you like. You dont need toll station or anything else. The price in Switzerland has not changed for the last 30 Years it still cost Fr. 40.– approx. Euro 36.– for 1 Year.

    • Renato Besomi

      21 October 2021 • 00:32

      First they abandon the tolls and afterwoods it will be another toll. Why do we pay road tax?
      The Swiss model is actually the best one as one buys the sticker to put on the windscreen at the beginning of the Year. You can drive on all the motorways as long as you like. You dont need toll station or anything else. The price in Switzerland has not changed for the last 30 Years it still cost Fr. 40.– approx. Euro 36.– for 1 Year.

    • PM

      21 October 2021 • 08:31

      why not
      1 Add it to the cost of fuel.
      2. Levy it at the ITV where the kilometres travelled since the last one are recorded.

    • PM

      21 October 2021 • 08:31

      why not
      1 Add it to the cost of fuel.
      2. Levy it at the ITV where the kilometres travelled since the last one are recorded.

    • William Beaumont

      21 October 2021 • 09:14

      This will significantly increase the price of online purchasing and if that item has to be returned and replaced then the overall cost might be three time the road costs from say Benidorm to Barcelona or even Madrid.

    • William Beaumont

      21 October 2021 • 09:14

      This will significantly increase the price of online purchasing and if that item has to be returned and replaced then the overall cost might be three time the road costs from say Benidorm to Barcelona or even Madrid.

    • M Whitehead

      21 October 2021 • 12:57

      Is fuel tax to be axed then?what about the vunerable and disabled and residents in remote locations leaving traveling for provisions etc. not thought out very well. we all know this is the start of motoring by the km leading the way for electric vehicles. 1 cent a km will soon turn out to be 1euro a km in the near future. watch this space!!!

    • M Whitehead

      21 October 2021 • 12:57

      Is fuel tax to be axed then?what about the vunerable and disabled and residents in remote locations leaving traveling for provisions etc. not thought out very well. we all know this is the start of motoring by the km leading the way for electric vehicles. 1 cent a km will soon turn out to be 1euro a km in the near future. watch this space!!!

    • Stephen Noe

      21 October 2021 • 13:54

      Car drivers already pay a tax, so if necessary it would be cheaper to keep the same structure and charge couple of Euros to all drivers.

    • Stephen Noe

      21 October 2021 • 13:54

      Car drivers already pay a tax, so if necessary it would be cheaper to keep the same structure and charge couple of Euros to all drivers.

    Comments are closed.