Tolls on the A22

[fmm]

There is a consensus that the A22 is indeed now very quiet, It is not quite the cash cow the Portuguese authorities thought it would be.

Not only that, but the significant increase in traffic on the 125 will mean more repairs required to the roads, replacement of damaged road signs from the inevitable knocks, extra policing etc etc - all of which has to be paid for.

[EMM]

In the Portuguese parliament last week, the attempt to remove the tolls was defeated by a large majority ( including some Algarve MP,s voting for them to remain )

Looks like the tolls are here to stay.

[joeysoap]

It's not the tolls ,its the method of paying them thats causing all the hassle. Did this parliament do anything to solve the problem? Did any of the honorary members from the Algarve region even bring it up?

[laserblazer]

This letter has gone semi-viral!

Mike Beggs is a regular business traveller to Europe and he has watched the European project break down into chaos over the last few years. This is his report on his recent trip to PortugaI.

I have just returned from a business trip to Portugal with a potential fine of €27 (£25) and a possible Portuguese Police criminal record. So what was my crime? I hired a car from Hertz and drove it on the new motorway, paid for by an EU grant!


In September 2011 the EU imposed an austerity package on Portugal. This included putting high tolls on the excellent motorway system. But the Portuguese had never before charged motorway tolls, so there are no toll booths to be able to collect the money.


Under a directive from the EU, the Portuguese Government overcame this by installing cameras along the motorways, telling all Portuguese number plate motorists that they must pay the tolls. But how?


They must go to the Post Office after 2 days – but before 5 days, to pay cash.


Clearly this programme, like so many other mad EU schemes, will not work and especially for those hiring cars.

The result is that no Portuguese driver uses the motorways. They are deserted, empty of traffic! But the ordinary roads are overloaded and the town centres are chaotic. The ordinary roads are breaking up, but road works are all cancelled because of the EU ‘austerity measures’. Business is suffering and the chances of economic recovery are receding.


But how does this affect me and any other visitors to Portugal this year? Well, I collected my rental car at 7 p.m. at the airport and drove to my hotel. Dutifully, 2 days later I went to the Post Office.


I asked what I owed for one short trip. The counter lady advised “Your car was used for three motorway journeys that day, you owe €9.90”. She wanted me to pay for the previous hirer who, quite logically, left on a plane earlier that day!


When I refused to pay for someone else’s tolls I was told “You will get a fine and a criminal record!” She would not accept part payment – what I owed, so I left without paying anything.


But this left another problem. I still had to drive back to the airport on the motorway to return the car so how would I pay. I asked the staff at Hertz. Their advice was “It is best that you don’t use the motorway on the last 2 days of your stay in Portugal”. But the only way to get there and not miss my plane was to drive on the motorway.


At the airport I went to the Post Office. I asked to pay for the trip and she said “the system is crazy – you have to come back in two days to pay for it, because the scanning equipment does not advise us until then”! I left the Post Office unable to pay for the trip I had made.


When I handed the car back to Hertz, I told the manager what happened. He gloomily explained “Well, you will get a fine and a criminal citation in about 5 month’s time”.


So, my recommendations are: Don’t travel to Portugal where EU austerity equals empty motorways, traffic chaos elsewhere, and an impossibly mad system for the collection of motorway tolls from overseas visitors.

[Lesley Jean]

I have now done 3 trips hiring a car from YOR and have driven the N125 each time, both ways, to and from the airport. Am I just lucky or is this hype about the madness on the N125 a little over the top? It took me about 50 mins each way, morning and evening, to do the drive with very little traffic. Me I am a happy bunny! I do see that in the summer months when the tourists arrive it could well be mayhem but I won't see that as I never travel during the mad months of July and August.

This will be the first summer of the tolls it will be very interesting to see the results of the traffic after that.

[laserblazer]

We have just used the 125 but after Christmas, we got stuck in a jam for an hour and very nearly missed our flight.

[James Faro]

I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest, if the Portuguese government makes the N125 tollable as well; if in the event that the A22 does not generate the income they assessed it to be.

[RichardHenshall]

They could subcontract the collection to those ladies who hang around on the side of the road.

[Aitch]

This letter has gone semi-viral!

Mike Beggs is a regular business traveller to Europe and he has watched the European project break down into chaos over the last few years. This is his report on his recent trip to PortugaI.

I have just returned from a business trip to Portugal with a potential fine of €27 (£25) and a possible Portuguese Police criminal record. So what was my crime? I hired a car from Hertz and drove it on the new motorway, paid for by an EU grant!


In September 2011 the EU imposed an austerity package on Portugal. This included putting high tolls on the excellent motorway system. But the Portuguese had never before charged motorway tolls, so there are no toll booths to be able to collect the money.


Under a directive from the EU, the Portuguese Government overcame this by installing cameras along the motorways, telling all Portuguese number plate motorists that they must pay the tolls. But how?


They must go to the Post Office after 2 days – but before 5 days, to pay cash.


Clearly this programme, like so many other mad EU schemes, will not work and especially for those hiring cars.

The result is that no Portuguese driver uses the motorways. They are deserted, empty of traffic! But the ordinary roads are overloaded and the town centres are chaotic. The ordinary roads are breaking up, but road works are all cancelled because of the EU ‘austerity measures’. Business is suffering and the chances of economic recovery are receding.


But how does this affect me and any other visitors to Portugal this year? Well, I collected my rental car at 7 p.m. at the airport and drove to my hotel. Dutifully, 2 days later I went to the Post Office.


I asked what I owed for one short trip. The counter lady advised “Your car was used for three motorway journeys that day, you owe €9.90”. She wanted me to pay for the previous hirer who, quite logically, left on a plane earlier that day!


When I refused to pay for someone else’s tolls I was told “You will get a fine and a criminal record!” She would not accept part payment – what I owed, so I left without paying anything.


But this left another problem. I still had to drive back to the airport on the motorway to return the car so how would I pay. I asked the staff at Hertz. Their advice was “It is best that you don’t use the motorway on the last 2 days of your stay in Portugal”. But the only way to get there and not miss my plane was to drive on the motorway.


At the airport I went to the Post Office. I asked to pay for the trip and she said “the system is crazy – you have to come back in two days to pay for it, because the scanning equipment does not advise us until then”! I left the Post Office unable to pay for the trip I had made.


When I handed the car back to Hertz, I told the manager what happened. He gloomily explained “Well, you will get a fine and a criminal citation in about 5 month’s time”.


So, my recommendations are: Don’t travel to Portugal where EU austerity equals empty motorways, traffic chaos elsewhere, and an impossibly mad system for the collection of motorway tolls from overseas visitors.

Well, congratulations to the writer.

It tells us absolutely nothing we don't already know, and will really help the tourist trade.

Just what we want to see all over this forum!

[e-richard]

I have now done 3 trips hiring a car from YOR and have driven the N125 each time, both ways...

I have now done 3 trips hiring a car from YOR and have driven the A22 each time, both ways.
No problems, no fines. What is all the fuss about?

[bessieboo]

Ok, so what do we poor July/August tourists (having to travel then because our government impose fines if we dare to remove our children from school), look forward to on the roads? Nearly everyone on this board who is currently using the N125 cheerfully tell us 'it's fine now, but wouldn't want to use it in July/August'. From reading this thread, we have nothing but a nightmare to look forward to. Am I correct in thinking that Drive4fun have transponders in their cars which would make life easier? We currently have our car booked with YOR, whom we have been using for the past 6 years, any word on what they're plannng on doing? If I end up with a criminal record because of this shambolic situation, I will never set foot on the Algarve again. Rant over. And yes, I AM having a bad day!!

[Aitch]

Use a Rental Company who have made some effort to address the situation. Drive4Fun offer a solution which has been posted previously under this topic.

[EMM]

Not the only one having a bad day,

What a load of B********. Ther will be thousands if not tens of thousands of unpaid tolls because of the system and inaction on the part of the car hire companies who were hoping that the problem will go away.
Does anyone actually think that the PT government will waste even more mony chasing down a few Euros in unpaid tolls, issuing criminal warrents etc. etc.

The hire companies have had at least two years to get themselves organised only a complete idiot would have thought that the tolls would have been cancelled.

There is no evidence that the tolls has had any or will have any influence on the numbers of vistors to Portugal or will do.

[Sinkie]

Ok, so what do we poor July/August tourists (having to travel then because our government impose fines if we dare to remove our children from school), look forward to on the roads? Nearly everyone on this board who is currently using the N125 cheerfully tell us 'it's fine now, but wouldn't want to use it in July/August'. From reading this thread, we have nothing but a nightmare to look forward to. Am I correct in thinking that Drive4fun have transponders in their cars which would make life easier? We currently have our car booked with YOR, whom we have been using for the past 6 years, any word on what they're plannng on doing? If I end up with a criminal record because of this shambolic situation, I will never set foot on the Algarve again. Rant over. And yes, I AM having a bad day!!

Hi, please see my comments at the bottom of the previous page. I am not saying EMM is wrong, but I did not intend to take any chances and for a few Euros the option of no delays on the A22 there and back and a few left over for any unplanned diversions via the A22 - my SatNav, despite saying avoid motorways, kept wanting to take me via it every now and again.

Drive4Fun also supply a copy of the toll amounts for the sections that as aplicable, and have been posted before on this forum.

The N125 is definately busier, many more HGVs using it, which when there are two or more together seems to make the locals show of there wish to be dead on time rather than a few minutes late.

[cereza]

This letter has gone semi-viral!

Mike Beggs is a regular business traveller to Europe and he has watched the European project break down into chaos over the last few years. This is his report on his recent trip to PortugaI.

I have just returned from a business trip to Portugal with a potential fine of €27 (£25) and a possible Portuguese Police criminal record. So what was my crime? I hired a car from Hertz and drove it on the new motorway, paid for by an EU grant!


In September 2011 the EU imposed an austerity package on Portugal. This included putting high tolls on the excellent motorway system. But the Portuguese had never before charged motorway tolls, so there are no toll booths to be able to collect the money.


Under a directive from the EU, the Portuguese Government overcame this by installing cameras along the motorways, telling all Portuguese number plate motorists that they must pay the tolls. But how?


They must go to the Post Office after 2 days – but before 5 days, to pay cash.


Clearly this programme, like so many other mad EU schemes, will not work and especially for those hiring cars.

The result is that no Portuguese driver uses the motorways. They are deserted, empty of traffic! But the ordinary roads are overloaded and the town centres are chaotic. The ordinary roads are breaking up, but road works are all cancelled because of the EU ‘austerity measures’. Business is suffering and the chances of economic recovery are receding.


But how does this affect me and any other visitors to Portugal this year? Well, I collected my rental car at 7 p.m. at the airport and drove to my hotel. Dutifully, 2 days later I went to the Post Office.


I asked what I owed for one short trip. The counter lady advised “Your car was used for three motorway journeys that day, you owe €9.90”. She wanted me to pay for the previous hirer who, quite logically, left on a plane earlier that day!


When I refused to pay for someone else’s tolls I was told “You will get a fine and a criminal record!” She would not accept part payment – what I owed, so I left without paying anything.


But this left another problem. I still had to drive back to the airport on the motorway to return the car so how would I pay. I asked the staff at Hertz. Their advice was “It is best that you don’t use the motorway on the last 2 days of your stay in Portugal”. But the only way to get there and not miss my plane was to drive on the motorway.


At the airport I went to the Post Office. I asked to pay for the trip and she said “the system is crazy – you have to come back in two days to pay for it, because the scanning equipment does not advise us until then”! I left the Post Office unable to pay for the trip I had made.


When I handed the car back to Hertz, I told the manager what happened. He gloomily explained “Well, you will get a fine and a criminal citation in about 5 month’s time”.


So, my recommendations are: Don’t travel to Portugal where EU austerity equals empty motorways, traffic chaos elsewhere, and an impossibly mad system for the collection of motorway tolls from overseas visitors.

Well, congratulations to the writer.

It tells us absolutely nothing we don't already know, and will really help the tourist trade.

Just what we want to see all over this forum!

It's no good blaming the writer - he is absolutely spot on and we all know it !! It has been written many many times on this forum already
I also cannot see the sense in the authorities chasing up these small amounts but there again these people don't have any sense otherwise they wouldn't have put in this ridiculous system in the first place