“Without wanting to go on too long, tolls will not increase
by that amount [about 10%], but, in the coming weeks, the legal solution will
be known that will enable the State to stop the increase in tolls, which is a
matter that concerns us”, said the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing,
Pedro Nuno Santos, who is being heard in the Assembly of the Republic.
The official recalled that the Prime Minister, António
Costa, has already guaranteed that tolls will not increase by 10% next year, a
value that derives from the formula contained in the concession contracts with
the State and that is based on inflation, which this year reached unexpected
values.
“We are trying to find a solution that not only protects
people who circulate, who use tolls, but also that protects the Portuguese
State”, underlined Pedro Nuno Santos.
Updates to the price of tolls for the following year are
proposed to the Government by the motorway concessionaires, based on the
aforementioned formula.
The concessionaires were available to negotiate the value with the Government, taking into account the inflationary crisis that the country is going through.