Tolls on the A22

[sam]

See the Algarve Resident - online only as paper had gone to press. Looks like the Spanish may save the day
http://www.algarveresident.com/story.asp?XID=41059

[James Faro]

The Portuguese have one outstanding attribute amongst many others; they are tenacious fighters and will oppose anything that they seem as unfair right up until the very end.

The Toll became controversial, then problematic and now it is totally farcical!

If there are votes in abandoning this Mickey Mouse scheme then the SDP will put it in their manifesto(despite what they say supporting it); power is a great allure.

[Geoff]

I queried the status with my carhire company and they advise " According to what has occured with our government recently.
The tolls APARENTLY are delayed untill the 15th of June.
The credit card for security will be requested as ususally."

Which at least does give a breathing space ( we fly out 19 April) .

[DaveK]

EMM. You say my source is UK not Portugal. Do you not know that ECH operate with numerous Portuguese car hire companies throughout Portugal; about 5 at Faro and others in other areas of the country. They have as much knowledge on this matter as the local companies and the big boys like Avis.

[lincdoc]

Agree with joeysoap. Why don't they have manned tolls with automatic tolls for locals with prepaid detectors? It would give some local employment and make payment easy for tourists. Like most people on this forum I love Portugal and am aware that they are having a hard time at the moment. I don't mind paying a little bit more if I choose to use the motorway for convenience but it has to be easy to use. The government also has to be aware that x euros spent on tolls probably means x euros less spent in local bars and restaurants.

[Jaylay]

Agree with joeysoap. Why don't they have manned tolls with automatic tolls for locals with prepaid detectors? It would give some local employment and make payment easy for tourists. Like most people on this forum I love Portugal and am aware that they are having a hard time at the moment. I don't mind paying a little bit more if I choose to use the motorway for convenience but it has to be easy to use. The government also has to be aware that x euros spent on tolls probably means x euros less spent in local bars and restaurants.

Not worth them employing people, some parts of the motorway, eg Portimao/ end of the motorway, Lagos direction, would hardly see a car in the winter especially 9pm to 6am.

[sunman]

I've just driven back from Guia to Lagoa on the Motorway, the gantry at Algoz has been finished this week, all the cameras are up and there's a Motorway sign up with all the toll prices on it,covered by a sheet
they're finishing off the Lagoa gantry, the Eastbound side is finished, they're hanging the cameras on the Westbound side, again the price board is up with a sheet over it,
looking like it's delayed rather than abandoned

[James Faro]

The government also has to be aware that x euros spent on tolls probably means x euros less spent in local bars and restaurants.

The present socialist caretaker government will be an x-government in early June. The incoming SPD government will be more business friendly and will realize(hopefully) that slapping toll taxes, as that what they are, is bad for business and abandon this stupid daft scheme.

[shanagarry]

and abandon this stupid daft scheme.

Don't think so - they are pot-less so every cent they can raise - they will - and some

[James Faro]

and abandon this stupid daft scheme.

Don't think so - they are pot-less so every cent they can raise - they will - and some

Well I have a pot they can..............er contribute to

[HampshireRich]

and abandon this stupid daft scheme.

Don't think so - they are pot-less so every cent they can raise - they will - and some

Well I have a pot they can..............er contribute to

Surely that pot is full of everything .......... er you say

[joeysoap]

Not worth them employing people, some parts of the motorway, eg Portimao/ end of the motorway, Lagos direction, would hardly see a car in the winter especially 9pm to 6am.

whether it's worth employing them or not is not the point. tourists will expect a simple and easy way to pay the tolls. ok the first year. they arrive at faro, told they have to pay rent on a device to record the tolls, return home and find their credit card charged for toll use, penalties for not paying inside the 5 days, and a likely taxi company charge.
so do you think they will come back the next year? whether the portuguese government like it or not if there are going to be tolls on the motorway in the algarve they are going to have to make payments simple, no penaltys, no fines, no messing. otherwise its goodbye tourism (excepting the all inclusive stay in one resort tourist)

if tourists do actually come in the winter, then fine, let them travel the length of the motorway practically free, ie one toll both on the motorway entrance to cover the whole motorway for winter months, and none of that price per km b*****ks.

[James Faro]

Money talks - always does. If the tourists numbers are down and it can be attributable to the bad publicity caused by the toll charges(ie: car hire firms penalty charging and using that death trap of a Scalextric of a N125), as sure as eggs are eggs the scheme will be abandoned. Of course that will only happen when it goes into effect.

In the end of the day the government are spending money on scheme that will de facto generate less income from lost of tourism - spending money to create less money!

The only ray of hopes is that the SDP when in government will shelve or reverse the tolls and blame it on the socialists. Any socialist idea is a no-brainer!

[pete-flint]

I don't suppose this will shed any light on an already upside down topic.

http://www.theportugalnews.com/cgi-bin/ ... ?id=1107-5

[sam]

I don't suppose this will shed any light on an already upside down topic.

http://www.theportugalnews.com/cgi-bin/ ... ?id=1107-5

The only new thing is the 90day + rental of transponders for foreign plated cars. These can apparently be purchased from any Via Verde shop - not very useful as the nearest is in Lisbon The Via Verde site still does not an English or even Spanish translation.