Toll Prices to Rise from January 1

THE Ministry of Transport has announced a notable increase in toll charges on Spanish motorways, set to take effect on January 1, marking the most significant hike since the toll system’s inception two decades ago. Starting January 1, toll rates on Spanish motorways will increase by 5 per cent to 6.6 per cent, as confirmed by the Ministry of Transport this Saturday, December 30.

Negotiations and Compensations: Understanding the Toll Rate Surge Beyond the Inflationary Bound

This increase surpasses the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to which hikes were traditionally tied. The aim is to offset last year’s imposed cap of 4 per cent, preventing an 8.3 per cent increase mirroring the inflation rate.

This limitation aimed to soften what would have been the steepest hike in toll charges in history—an unmanageable cost for users amid an inflationary crisis. However, it was agreed to compensate concessionaires until 2026 for the shortfall. Essentially, the unpaid tolls from the previous year will be recovered from users in subsequent years. Moreover, a financing line of €23.3 million was established.

Concessionaires’ Concerns and Ministry’s Measures to Mitigate Toll Revenue Loss

Concessionaires, including a 1,500-kilometre toll network generating an annual turnover of approximately €1.5 billion, opposed losing half of their projected 2023 revenue due to the capped increase linked to CPI. Consequently, after intense negotiations, the Ministry of Transport settled for this compensation, although significantly lower than what the companies requested.

Identifying the Eleven Affected Motorways

The tariff update will affect the eleven toll roads starting Monday, January 1: AP-51, AP-61, AP-6, AP-53, AP-66, AP-7 Alicante-Cartagena, AP-7 Málaga-Guadiaro, AP-68, AP-71, AP-9, and AP-46.

However, the Ministry has opted not to raise tolls on the motorways managed by the State-owned Terrestrial Transport Infrastructure Company (SEITT)—the nine toll roads, including Madrid’s radial roads, which have remained unchanged since 2019 when they were reduced by an average of 30 per cent.

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