Road Tolls

[shanagarry]

The car rental companies need only provide details of the renter

Unlike the UK where the rental company is on the hook for the charge and in the event of a speed camera violation they have to return a very specific form with full details of the driver within a very clearly defined timeframe.

How many Portuguese rental companies employ sufficient competent language specific people to complete that bureaucratic process?. It is also worth noting that they have 'form' for implementing and introducing new laws (remember offshore) without any familiarisation period and then changing them as they go along. They are not people who like to make sure something works properly before introducing it. This could be very interesting.

[davecwill]

Have just come accross this in my caravan magazine
A new electronic toll system has been introduced on the following (previously free) roads in Portugal.
The A25,A28,A29,A42, and parts of the A4 and A17. Alltolls must be paid by using a temorary magneticelectronic card (TD) since there will be no manned booths,
TD cards are available from some motorway service staions, CTT (Portugese post offices) and Via Verde offices.
If you use a credit cardto hire the TD, adeposit of E27 will be taken immediately and toll costs will then be debited automaticly from you credit card.
Your deposit will be refunded when you return the TD.
Use cash for the TD and you will need to preload it with E50 as well as pay a £27 deposit,
If you use more than the preloaded amount you will have to pay additional charges when you return the card.
If you use less than the E50 you will not receive any refund although you will still get your deposit back.
Roads that now have these new tolls will be identified by the following signage: Lanco Com Portgam and Electronic Toll Only.
Signage at the begining of the toll roads will give deyails of prices,
Vehicles found using these roads without a TD device can be fined up to 10 the toll fee with a minimum charge of E25,
Existing toll roads (A1,A10,A11,A12,A13,A14,A15,A2,A21,A3,A4,A5,A6,A7,A8, and A9) will still have manned booths.
For further informationsee estradas.pt/portagensestrangeiros. A list of Via Verde outlets can be accessed by logging onto viaverde.pt (but only available in Portuguese)
This is a bit long winded but hope it helps drivers to the Algarve.

[maccasa]

Luckily it doesnt mention the A22

[EMM]

This is the system planned for the A22 for introduction in April or earlier if the work gets done.

[shanagarry]

That's incredible - how will a tourist (a non subscriber to the caravan magazine) know what the signs mean? To the uninitiated the outlets mentioned will not be familiar places to tourists - especially if only some motorway service areas will be selling the TD cards.

From a practical standpoint consider users with less than honest intentions who realise they must return the card after using more than the €27 and has to pay an additional amount - how do the authorities deal with that? I can't envisage there will be too many cash buyers - especially if their usage is going to be less than €50.

The same situation will apply to the rental companies who will have to issue every hire car with a TD card and reconcile it when the hire car is returned. Picture the disputes at the hire company return desks.

I suspect the roads listed are not busy tourist routes and will not have the numbers of transactions the Algarve road will undoubtedly have - which I suspect accounts for the absence of the A22 from the list

[Gambrinus]

The regional protest groups are calling for a complete boycot of payments if the system is installed on the A22. In theory, if everyone defaults on their payments, the Govt would not have the resources to process the fines thus bringing down the whole system.

As far as I am concerned, if the protests fail, the whole project will go down in flames once the accidents on the EN125 reach their old record highs.
Sadly, it is likely that politicians and their interest groups will try to pursue this fracass to it's final stupidity and will have actively contributed to countless fatal accidents before they see reason.