The Administration’s plans to implement the pay-per-use system on highways have been slowed down by the current economic situation, which has been greatly degraded by inflation and the energy crisis. Thus, they are ruled out for 2023.
Just over a year ago, the Government of Spain was working intensely on a “high-capacity road network pricing proposal”. The intention of the Executive was to agree on it with the rest of the parties and administrations in order to be able to implement it later.
However, the reality is being quite different, and the Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda herself, Rachel Sanchezhas confirmed that in the General State Budgets (PGE) for next year there is no forecast regarding tolls.
This despite the commitment adopted with the European Union regarding its implementation in 2024.
The justification that the minister has given is that “the adoption of this measure requires a necessary consensus with the autonomous communities and with the agents that work and intervene on the road, being necessary that the social and economic moment is the propitious one».
As a result of all this, the highly controversial pay-per-use system on Spanish public highways will not arrive until at least 2024. What will arrive next year is an investment plan in road infrastructure.
Specifically, Seitt (State Land Transport Infrastructure Company) will receive 102 million euros and the item allocated to the maintenance of the roads will bring together another 1,150 million euros. In total, the investment in highways will be 2,292 million, 0.5% less than a year ago.
In total, next year’s budget for the Ministry of Raquel Sánchez will amount to €21 billionwith a direct investment of 16,550 that will be distributed mainly in 12,635 million in Infrastructure and 3,472 million for Housing.
According to the minister, these budgets become the most ambitious in the last 13 years, even comparing them with those of the Popular Party. «It is about progressive budgets to change Spain, the most sustainable, social and ambitious of the last 13 years. We hope to generate 310,000 jobs with these investments, 60% of which have a green label », he defended.