The last idea to include tolls on the highways of Spain

From Madrid to Barcelona for about 18 euros.

From Bilbao to Cádiz for more than 30 euros.

That is The proposal of the Association of Construction and Infrastructure Concessionaires (Seopan) and in that money there has been none of the tolls that we can find along the way and that, without a doubt, would make the journey more expensive.

And it is that the employer of the road construction companies has had an idea to finance the thousands of kilometers of highways that are still free in our country. And, from their point of view, they have it very clear: that The drivers pay 3 cents/km route.

The figure is much higher for heavy transport for which they propose a rate of 0.14 cents/km route. That is, multiply almost for five previous figures until we place us at almost 90 euros in Madrid-Barcelona and almost 150 euros for crossing Spain in truck.

An old dream with Europe looking

The proposal was presented by Julián Núñez, president of the association that covers giants such as ACS, Ferrovial, Action, Abertis, Ohla or Sacyr, among others. It indicates that the country has to invest 11,494 million euros for the conservation and maintenance of roads that have not been carried out in recent years.

That game is part of the 38,447 million euros in 25 years that, according to their calculations, they are necessary to keep the roads in optimal conditions until 2050. In those items maintenance works are contemplated but also the construction of Roads 2+1 to “improve road safety” or the deployment of load infrastructure for the electric car.

All this, they say, would generate income in 25 years of 143,024 million euros, a fiscal return of 35,314 million euros and a public spending saving of 41,038 million euros. Money that would be used to invest in the maintenance of the roads themselves.

The implementation of payment for use is one of the great dreams of the construction companies since this would allow them to offer down construction and maintenance services, facilitating these actions and, of course, facilitating their business.

However, they ensure that Spain accumulates 68% of free highways throughout Europe which total 13,674 kilometers free of tolls. A flag that the government has presumed, putting each liberalization in value while balancing with Europe.

Last year, in fact, Transport Minister Oscar Puente assured that “the roads are not free, or are paid with taxes or tolls.” He did it in a forum organized by The Spanish And the words of Puente soon were read as a notice to navigators.

However, just A few hours later he would defend that this was not a way to “reopen the debate” and stressed that the government had released 1,000 kilometers since 2018 on toll highways. To that measure, it has joined not imposing more tolls on roads such as AP-9, AP-66 and AP-68 where bonuses are applied.

These decisions, however, collide frontally with the interest that Europe has reiterated in imposing tolls on Spanish roads. For years, institutions have put the table on the table obligation to impose a tarification For use to roads in exchange for continuing to water our country of European funds.

This led the government to include it in its Recovery and Resilience Planalready presented in 2021. Since then, The equilibrium game That the Spanish Executive has maintained has made the roads remain free but a new threat has also arrived from Europe: a possible complaint if we do not correct the way.

And, although the supposed payment for use comes from afar, the runrún on the payment on the roads has been increasing. Especially if we consider that in 2021 there was already talk of imposing A toll system in less than three years or that Pere Navarro, director of the DGT, has already suggested Who could and who not pay those possible tolls.

What they defend from Seopan in their proposal is that, however, Spain would continue to pay cheaper tolls than the rest of Europe since, they say, the average is 0.09 euros/km route for cars and 0.018 euros/kN route for heavy transport.

In The countryThey emphasize that Spain represents 21% of all kilometers of high capacity of the European Union but that, however, only 13% are payment. That is, we are an exception that Seopan seeks to reverse with a porch system To pay for use, taking advantage of the fact that the money that the State must due to the investment of the roads already exceeds 10,000 million euros.

But also Europe, what For years he presses so that Spain once and for all a melon from which, in the government, He doesn’t want to take care. Remember that it is something that You have been talking since 2012.

Photo | Erwin Brevis

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