A22 May Become a Toll Road

[BarryTodd]

I don't think the road is wearing very well. There are many miles of thoroughfare with major cracks that have been filled in. They are trying to fix the effect rather than identifying and rectifying the cause. I reckon there will be major problems along this road in the future. Perhaps if they impose a toll they will have the funds to cure the problems, or is that wishful thinking.....

[R.Wethereyet]

I doubt very much that the tolls received will be used to repair the roads, very much in the same way that the exhorbitant fuel taxes and vehicle purchase taxes are never available for this purpose.

Ironically though, only 4 months ago Standard and Poor's down rated the government agency in charge of roads, repairs etc to BBB-, the following week they announce the imposition of tolls on 4 more of Portugal's SCUT (Sem Custos para os UTilizadores” – No costs to the Users) roads.

SCUT highways are an important part of the Portuguese road transportation network, they link the country's largest sea-port and it's second largest airport to the rest of the country, and also link South West Europe/Spain with the Algarve, which up to two years ago was the country's biggest tax revenue earner.

Most alternative routes are old and unsafe, lacking the modern conditions for the increase in traffic that will certainly result from these short sighted measures. The increase in traffic inside villages and cities, to avoid the newly tolled SCUTs will not only be a nuisance around these towns and villages, it will also, predictably, increase congestion, CO2 and other gases emissions, and fuel consumption, but more worryingly, lead to an increase in fatal accidents It will waste people’s time and hurt economic activity and damage the environment. Overall, everyone is poised to be worse-off, except for the Portuguese state.

A simple answer would be to increase vehicle excise duty to a realistic figure and the same for all equivalent vehicles.

For example, I currently pay 33 euros a year for a 1910cc diesel car with 176 CO2/km emissions, however for a new car with the same emissions and c.c. it would be 52.80 (emissions tax) + 79.10 (cubic capacity tax) times a factor of 1.15 = 151.69 euros. If it was 20 years old however, I would only pay 10.40. Where in God's name is the sense in that, tax the lowest rates for the most inefficient and highest polluting cars.

If every body paid the same, based on current new car rates per tax band, Portugal would generate an extra 300million euros per year minimum. Plenty to offset the introduction of tolls.

[Gary/Gaynor]

Toll money will have to back to the European coffers guys, that was he original deal.
Gaynor

[Bruce Wallis]

Does anyone know if taxis will have to pay the toll charge - adding 10euro onto the fare from the airport to Carvoeiro?

I've told you before.....dont be such a tightarse.....hire a car!!

[EMM]

There are discussions that certain vehicles, taxis and authorised transfer companies will pay a reduced charge.

But accept that fares will increase as will costs of hire cars. expect that your credit cards will be debited by any costs incurred as it could be a cash free system with cars having to buy a tag which is charged.

[James Faro]

The recent protests about the proposed Toll roads offers different perspectives from the press.

The Algarve Resident reports that 200 cars came out in protest whilst The Portugal News claims no more than 10 cars arrived to protest and it was a failure!

Version 1

http://www.algarveresident.com/story.asp?XID=38408

Version 2

http://www.theportugalnews.com/

Seems there is no love lost between these two papers.

On the way home at Faro Airport, The Portugal News is free of charge(as per usual) when passing security airside but the newsagent in the departure lounge charges €1.50!

[HampshireRich]

Does anyone know if taxis will have to pay the toll charge - adding 10euro onto the fare from the airport to Carvoeiro?

I've told you before.....dont be such a tightarse.....hire a car!!

Refuse to do that - scared I might meet someone like you driving the other way!!!

[shanagarry]

All these views on here are commendable - but do you any of you honestly believe that a 'bankrupt' treasury is going to take the least bit of notice