The Portuguese Minister for Territorial Cohesion has announced the introduction of reductions in the tolls of motorways in the interior regions. This measure aims to "improve the mobility of people" in these territories and to promote their connection "to the rest of the country". This intention was revealed by the Minister of Territorial Cohesion, Ana Abrunhosa. These reductions will be granted according to the frequency of use of these highways: the more you take these tolls, the greater the reduction granted. This reduction system does not apply to all motorways in the country. It covers, according to the Portuguese executive's own information, the internal motorways, but also the A28 which runs along the coast and Via do Infante. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about the reductions in motorway tolls.

Here is the complete list of highway tolls affected by the price reduction:

• A22-Algarve (Via do Infante);

• A23-IP;

• A23-Beira Interior;

• A24-Interior Norte;

• A25-Beiras Litoral and Alta;

• A28-Norte Litoral;

• A4-AE Transmontana sub-concession;

• A4-Marão tunnel;

• Interior sub-concession A13 and A13-1-Pinhal.

The measure introduced by the Portuguese authorities is not really a drop in price. In order to understand the potential savings that can be achieved with this measure, it is important to understand it first, since the intention is not to directly reduce the price of tolls, but to apply variable discounts.

What the Portuguese government calls "quantity discount" applies to class 1 and class 2 vehicles (except the transport of goods and passengers) with an electronic identifier and covers internal motorways, from the seventh traffic day. This day counting starts from the first day in the month when the user goes through the toll gate on the road in question. Which means :

- Until the 7th day, the normal rate applies;

- Between the 8th and 15th day of use in the month, a 20% discount is applied to the SCUT price;

- From the 16th day and until the end of the "month", a 40% discount applies.

The discount is therefore progressive and as the end of the month approaches, the price will be lower. Thus, the measure primarily benefits drivers who travel daily on a given highway. The total monthly rebate will be at best 25% for a person taking the highway every day.

These discounts “apply to each highway” individually. The "quantity discount" excludes "class 2 vehicles used for the transport of goods and passengers", since they already benefit from a specific discount.

The discounts for companies increases at night

The government is also proposing to standardize the "modulation scheme" for class 2 vehicles used to transport goods and passengers. The intention is to have a differentiation according to the moment of circulation.

In this way, even highways that already benefited from discounts under four previous government orders now have a unique regime, which applies as follows:

• 35% reduction during the day on tolls.

• 55% reduction at night on tolls.

The Portuguese government has also given some examples in order to understand the potential savings on several of the motorways covered and for different types of users. In the most extreme case, a passenger transport company can save more than 7,000 euros per year.

Example 1: Maria lives in Bragança and works in Vila Real. Every day he drives from Bragança to Vila Real on the A24 to go to work. At today's prices, Maria pays 5.64 euros per trip. It is 248.16 euros after 22 days. Now with the new discounts you will save 49.63 euros after the same 22 days. In one year, with the new discounts, you will pay 2,382.34 euros, 595.48 euros less than you would pay with the prices currently in force.

Example 2: Tiago is a baker and drives a class 2 van to sell bread. Every day, Tiago drives the van from Castelo Branco to Covilhã via the A23. Currently, Tiago pays 6.71 euros per trip, or 402.6 euros after 30 days. With the new discounts, Tiago starts paying 102 euros less at the end of the same 30 days, which generates a saving of 1,224 euros after a year.

Example 3: A company has a freight truck that runs daily on the A22, from Vila Real de Santo António to Lagos, once during the day and once at night. Currently, the day ticket costs 15.54 euros, plus 11.1 euros for the night. After 30 days, the company pays 799.2 euros in tolls. With the new reductions, it will save 66.6 euros after 30 days, or 799.2 euros after a year.

Example 4: A passenger transport company has a bus which runs daily on the A22, once a day and once at night. Currently, the company spends 22.2 euros per day on tolls, a total of 1332 euros after 30 days. With the new discounts, she will save 599.4 euros per month, for a total of 7,192.8 euros after a year.

These examples are only fictitious cases presented by the Portuguese Executive to justify toll reductions. The measure will take the form of a government decree, which "will enter into force in the third quarter of 2020", being "a joint initiative of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing and the Ministry of Territorial Cohesion".

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