Paying for the roads

Payings for the roads.

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma06/05/2021 15:18
TW
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The Spanish government has unveiled a plan for introducing tolls on motorways. This is related to the recovery, transformation and resilience plan that the government has sent to the European Union. This plan has been required as part of the EU's 140,000 million euros funding for Spain.

The Council of Mallorca, which is responsible for motorways and main roads on the island, says that it has no information about the plan. In the event that it is raised, the Council adds that it will firmly oppose tolls.

Three motorways in Mallorca are part of the national high capacity network. The government's tolls would initially apply only to these, but the intention is to extend tolls to other motorways. The three are: the MA-1 Palma to Paguera; the MA-13 Palma to Sa Pobla; the MA-19 Palma to Llucmajor.

The government is targeting the introduction of tolls from 2024. It argues that tolls are needed to cover the deficit generated by the maintenance and upkeep of the country's extensive road network - this is put at 8,000 million euros.

The Council's mobility councillor, Ivan Sevillano, rejects this justification. "We do not have the deficit for maintenance that many motorways on the mainland have. Moreover, policies we have been adopting as a left-wing administration go in totally the opposite direction." The obvious example of this is the elimination of the Soller tunnel toll.