“These highways should not be paid” – Daily News – Lisbon

Users of the A25, A23 and A24 want to tolls and find discounts “insufficient”

The Commission users of the A25, the A23 and A24 classified today as “largely insufficient” the 15% discount on some highways, the former SCUT, and defended the end of tolls as the only alternative for those regions.

” We have a position from the beginning, which is not of time this government (…) since then, the committee of users against tolls has a very clear position:. these motorways that have no alternative, because some cases were built on top of the old IP’S [main roads] and therefore should not be paid, “he told Lusa Francisco Almeida agency, the users Committee.

the government announced on Tuesday applying a 15% discount to all vehicles traveling from August 01, in some highways that constituted the former SCUT (No Cost to you), mostly located routes in the countryside and the Algarve.

Speaking today to Lusa Francisco Almeida explained that, for example, A25 is the vast majority of its path built in what was the old IP5.

“that is, when they were built to A25 , A23 and A24, itineraries were destroyed that had no tolls. Who want to travel between Aveiro and Vilar Formoso, for example, the alternative is the national 16, if someone wants to imagine that it is an alternative, “he said.

According to Francisco Almeida, in some cases these national roads are streets of cities, and the National No. 2 is the main street of Lamego and the National No. 116 is a street in the city center.

This Commission member users noted that in some areas is prohibited the movement of trucks, such as the National Road n.º16 and throughout the National paragraph 2

“that said, our position is very clear. it there toll. Now comes the government to reduce the tolls. It would be stupidity on our part to say that is not good, but what we can say is that it is largely insufficient, especially if we consider that the tolls on the A25 are superior to the A1, “he said.

Second Francisco Almeida, these discounts are not present the difficult situation in which they are businesses and citizens.

Francisco Almeida also said that the Users Committee will decide soon possible protests against the tolls on those roads.

According to an excerpt of an ordinance that will be published today and which comes into force on August 01, the Government points out criteria of economic convergence and territorial cohesion to justify the discounts on tolls on motorways A23 Torres Novas – Guard, A22 ( Lagos -. Vila Real de Santo António) and A24, between Viseu and the border ray of Vila Verde in Chaves county

the discounts extend to the A4 motorway, called Transmontana between Amarante and Quintanilha (Bragança), but leaves out the section of that road between Matosinhos (Porto) and Amarante. Still in A4, in Marão Tunnel, recently opened, the price charged already covers 15% discount, explains the Government.

Covered is also the A25, between Albergaria-a-Velha and Vilar Formoso, but not in the initial section, which links Aveiro to Albergaria-a-Velha.

the rules in force since 2012 additional discounts of 10% during the day and 25% in evening and weekend for heavy goods passes to 15% and 30%, respectively, and is extended to the motorway A4 and Marão Tunnel.

also the Users Committee of the Via do Infante said today Lusa that the announcement by the Government of a discount of 15% to vehicles traveling from August 01, on some roads, is “clearly insufficient” and called for disease control.