Despite the resounding refusals that the Government received when it raised the measure, the Executive’s plan continues with a high probability of being installed on the highways. With a date scheduled for 2024, it is expected that by the middle of next year there will already be a complete and detailed program. All with the aim of “improving infrastructure”, but that would not have the same cost for all drivers.
In the plan that Pedro Sánchez presented to the European Commission to qualify for recovery funds, tolls were one of the most striking points due to the free nature that has always accompanied most roads. In order to put an end to the conservation deficit of the entire network, which is around 8,000 million euros, the Executive’s idea is to leave it in place for the next legislature.
However, they have been consummated since the intention was announced. Both in the different automobile organizations, which estimate popular disagreement at close to 80%, as well as from opposition groups, regional governments or even from the PSOE itself (in the words of Susana Díaz), these have not prevented the Reverse government.
The estimated cost per kilometer has been estimated between one and five cents, but there is still no concrete and clear plan
In this way, if everything goes as planned, in 2024 the free nature of the Spanish highways would be lost () and in the medium term it would even be extended to conventional and secondary roads. All under the idea of ”he who uses, pays”, which has been cited by both the director of the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), Pere Navarro, and the former Secretary of Transport, Pedro Saura.
But in the second part of the quote, the question. And, how much would you pay to use a highway? , the estimated amount per kilometer could be between 3 and 5 cents (the idea of 1 cent per kilometer has even been discussed). Of course, not being anything official, another aspect that the Executive has dropped is that there would be exempt groups as well as others that would pay more than normal.
These are the groups that would not pay…
In the first place, those who would have immunity from this new cost for Spanish drivers would be all those who mobilized for work, medical or study reasons. This was what Navarro himself commented, pointing out that “the uncle who has to take the highway every day to go and return from work, the forced trip for study reasons or the grandmother when she goes to the doctor” would be exempt, because if not “they we would creak”.
… and these are the ones that would have a higher cost
Thus, with some room for manoeuvre, and while the best possible adaptation is finished being studied, another of the ideas that has been put forward is that the most polluting or foreign vehicles should pay more. The oldest, by default, was dropped by the Minister of Transport, Raquel Sánchez, with a clear “whoever pollutes, pays”, while the Vice President of Economic Affairs, Nadia Calviño, was tougher with the 100,000 vehicles that enter Spain, since it represents “is the European model and the fairest from the point of view of distribution in the territory”.
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