The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has refreshed toll rates for highways under state ownership and administrative concession for the year 2024, effective from January 1. The adjustments range from five to six and a half percent, with the exact increase depending on the specific terms tied to each concession agreement. This update reflects a deliberate recalibration of pricing to align with current fiscal conditions and ongoing infrastructure financing needs across the network.
The department, led by Minister Óscar Puente, explains in an official note that tolls for users on routes including AP-51, AP-61, AP-6, AP-53, AP-66, and AP-7 Alicante-Cartagena have been updated. Additional tolls on AP-7 Málaga-Guadiaro, AP-68, AP-71, AP-9, and AP-46 received approval through a ministerial order, confirming the government’s authority to adjust charges where necessary to sustain maintenance, safety improvements, and project timelines across these corridors.
The ministry notes that if the subsidies currently planned for 2024 do not continue, toll increases could exceed eight and a half percent. This potential scenario highlights the balancing act between user charges and the fiscal support required to keep toll-funded projects financially viable, while aiming to minimize the burden on road users during the year ahead.
The permissibility of these increases rests on the consumer price index and on extraordinary and temporary measures authorized at the close of 2022. These provisions were designed to cap the toll rise at four percent in 2023, as foreseen under Article 77 of the Law on Financial, Administrative and Social Order Measures, ensuring a predictable framework for toll-setting amid changing economic conditions.
Last year, a subsidy was introduced to soften inflationary pressures. The government anticipated increases of between eight point four and nine point five percent, with the subsidy scheduled to be phased in over a three-year period and to be phased out by the end of 2026. The policy aimed to shield road users from sharp spikes while allowing toll revenue to support ongoing infrastructure work and debt service associated with the concession network.
Transport authorities report that the subsidy has yielded tangible savings for users, with more than thirty-three million euros in 2023 supported by the ministry. A projection suggests the subsidy will amount to roughly thirty million euros in 2024, contributing to affordability for regular travelers on the affected corridors as the system adapts to evolving economic pressures and maintenance requirements. The note further states that this approach aligns with the government’s objective of household support by avoiding unnecessary toll increases on highways managed by the State Land Transport Infrastructure Corporation (SEITT). This stance has helped reduce transfers to the State by about thirty percent, reflecting the ongoing financial challenges that have persisted since 2019 and the continued effort to stabilize the concession portfolio for road users.