A22 Tolls Delayed in Portugal
The government will not be introducing the tolls on the four “SCUT” motorways previously scheduled for the 15th of April, reports AFPOP, the Association for Foreign Residents and Property Owners in Portugal. The process is now on hold until the result of the elections in June.
This decision stems from a decision from the legal Centre of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (CEJUR), whereby the introduction of tolls by a government management would be unconstitutional.
The Portuguese Constitution states that an Executive under these circumstances can only act on matters strictly necessary for the management of public affairs. It appears that the implementation of tolls in SCUT Algarve, Beira Litoral, Beira Alta and Beira Interior and the Interior Norte of the country, requires a fundamental legislative and political innovation, which entails a revision of the terms of concessions to introduce road tolls and its scheme of exemptions and discounts.
For further information about AFPOP, please go to www.afpop.com
3 Responses to “A22 Tolls Delayed in Portugal”
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Kira Mason on October 15th, 2011
what about spanish/german/french drivers who visit Portugal? How will they be charged for using the A22?
John Tranmer on October 17th, 2011
Apparently the start date for charging tolls on the A22 has been put back again. See:
http://algarvedailynews.com/news/4834-tolls-delayed-beyond-october
As regards foreign-registered vehicles using the A22, I understand that it will be possible to hire a device from one of the petrol stations.
I have also heard that the technology may not be able to read some foreign number plates and that, in the North where the same technology is already in use, there has been widespread evasion.
John Tranmer on January 11th, 2012
Foreign registered vehicle drivers can obtain a temporary transponder by making a deposit payment of €27.50 and a minimum class 1 pre-paid charge of €10. The transponder rental is €6 for the first week, and €2.50 for each subsequent week.
You can also pre-pay over the internet, either to create a pre-payment account (minimum of €10) valid for 5 working days, or to purchase a fixed price 3-day “pass” (€20 plus €2.50 plus IVA in charges), or a fixed itinerary “pass”.
Finally, you can pay after using the motorway, for example in a post office, so long as payment is made no sooner than 48 hours and no longer than 5 working days after use. You can check pending charges by entering the car registration number on the post office website.