SPAIN’S AP7-7 MOTORWAY TO GO TOLL FREE IN PARTS ON THE 1ST OF JANUARY AS SPAIN SEE’S IN THE NEW YEAR

THE AP-7 motorway in Spain will be free on the Costa Blanca in Spain’s Valencia region on the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve pleasing many Spanish residents of the region.

The company Abertis, whose concession runs out on January 1st, will lift the toll barriers as the New Year is rung in, marking an end to 40 years of tolls in the Spanish region.

With tolls officially lifted on the AP-7 in just a few days, questions remain unanswered. 

 The Spanish national government has been sending ambiguous messages for months while experts, business organisations and affected sectors warn about the consequences of a proposal for free of charge that many, except transport companies, consider a wrong move. 

Several Spanish city councils and the Chamber of Contractors warned of the loss of up to €10 million in revenue from the IBI currently paid by the AP7 as it passes through the corresponding Spanish municipalities. 

Experts say that if the Spanish State takes over collection of fees, no one can guarantee that the proceeds are allocated to the maintenance of the roads. 

José Manuel Vasallo from the University of Madrid said: “Auditors in Spain and the European Union have reiterated that the management of public companies leaves much to be desired in terms of efficiency in decision making and the extra costs of the works.” 

He added: “In the case of Spain because there has been a dual network of toll motorways and free highways that has been developed without a predefined criterion, which has led to some regions of our country being disadvantaged compared to others.”