UK car tolls

[mixerman]

hi folks , i have some friends who have driven down from uk , english plated car , they have used the toll road , when they went to the post office they were told they don't have to pay at all ? is this correct , or if they have to pay where and how ?
look forward to replies .

[EMM]

Nonesense, they do have to pay, they should registered their vehicle at one of the pay points when entering Portugal. There are machines which take credt card details and the tolls are then charged to the card.
They may get a bill plus fines for late payment at some time in the distant future.

[James Faro]

This is an interesting scenario. If the owner of the UK car gets a fine through the post and he does not pay how can the authorities enforce if he/she refuses to pay? Portugal being a separate legal jurisdiction it would not be cost effective to chase a fine through the courts which is the only way! I know Spanish companies that use the A22 in Portugal are protesting about having to pay the toll and obviously they are a separate legal jurisdiction. Maybe Spain and Portugal have a special protocol when it comes to legal issues over money collection.

I took my car last year to the Irish Republic and used the M50 toll road in Dublin. I had to pay by 8pm next night as there are no payment kiosks on the road. I went to a garage to pay for the toll and was told not to bother as my car has a UK registration and the Irish authorities would not go after the unpaid toll. So, I happily used that M50 everyday and nothing ever came in the post wanting the original toll fee plus a big fine.

I took the car again in late November last year and used the M50 a few times and nothing. Never received any notification and demand!

[EMM]

Apparently there is now an agreement between Spain and Portugal over the question of tolls.
Only time will tell regarding unpaid tolls by foreign reg vehicles.

[DaveK]

I believe EMM is correct. We registered our car when entering Portugal last September at the pay point at the start of the A22. The machine issues a receipt which should be carried in the vehicle if the motorway is used. If stopped by the GNR coming off the motorway you will be fined if this cannot be produced. In fact the camera at the pay point misread out UK number plate which was printed out as starting B711 instead of BT11! Didn't notice this until we were about to return to the UK.

[James Faro]

Well, if the GNR can and will fine for not being in possession of a receipt, then it is vital to have one. Assuming a UK car owner cannot be chased for an unpaid fine or not even ever getting a fine, it is no holiday worrying about not having that piece of paper during the journey and maybe being pulled in by the police for the duration for the holiday. They have you every way unless you drive on Paradise Lane aka the N125!

[Octopus]

If you've got a foreign car, just don't pay the tolls. Absolutely nothing happens. I've got a few foreign registered cars in Portugal and never had to pay.

[Ma-Ja's]

I read recently on another forum that someone had received a fine addressed to his UK address for using the A22 and not paying the tolls. He had a UK registered car. If I remember correctly it was quite a time after using the road that he received the fine. At the risk of having my head bit off, at the end of the day if you are using a toll road anywhere, then you should pay the tolls regardless of where your car is registered.

[Octopus]

At the risk of having my head bit off, at the end of the day if you are using a toll road anywhere, then you should pay the tolls regardless of where your car is registered.

I do agree with that point... but they need to meet us half way and at least make it easy for us to pay. If they're going to make it complicated to pay, and I know I don't even have to pay, I'm not going to do it.