The company that manages the Portuguese road network clarified that, although tolls are no longer in force on the A22 since January 1st, ‘easytoll’ allows vehicles with foreign registration to voluntarily join the system with a bank card and travel on other motorways in the country, automatically paying the respective tolls, according to a report by Postal.

The IP's clarification comes after information circulated on social media at Easter about the existence of clusters of vehicles near the system's machines, a situation that led the PS parliamentary group to question the Government about an alleged “undue toll charge on the Via do Infante [A22]”.

The PS deputies elected by the Faro constituency say that they could see that the machines were still in operation, warning that there were “hundreds of drivers coming from Spain” who continued to stop at the toll on the Guadiana International Bridge to pay the toll on the Via do Infante.

“Infraestruturas de Portugal clarifies that, since January 1, 2025, no toll is being charged for the use of the A22 and its entire length,” the company assured in a statement.

The same source indicated that the entry into force of Law No. 37/2024, of August 7, put an end to the payment of tolls “on certain sections and subsections of motorways in the Interior, on former Free-of-Charge Motorways (SCUT), and on roads where there are no alternatives that allow for quality and safe use”.

These criteria include the A22, which crosses the Algarve and connects Spain to Lagos, Motorway 4 (A4) – Transmontana Subconcession and Marão Tunnel, the A13 and A13-1 – Pinhal Interior Subconcession, the A23 – IP Concession (Torres Novas / Abrantes) and Beira Interior Concession (Abrantes / Guarda), the A24 – North Interior Concession, the A25, Beiras Litoral and Alta Concession, and the A28 – North Coast Concession, in the sections between Esposende and Antas and between Neiva and Darque, IP specified.

“However, despite the elimination of toll charges on these roads, there are others where toll charges remain, which is why the payment method called ‘easytoll’ remains operational and constitutes a valid option for all drivers of vehicles with foreign license plates who, not having on-board equipment, wish to be enabled with an electronic toll payment method that allows them to travel on the entire national highway network”.

As the system can be used for other toll motorways in force, “the fixed points for joining the system, located next to the border at the entry points to the motorway network with electronic tolls, namely on the A22, A24, A25 and A28, remain operational, responding to users who wish to travel not only on toll-free roads, but also on roads where tolls are still charged”.

“It should also be noted that joining ‘easytoll’ does not involve the collection of any tolls. It is rather joining a system that allows the electronic collection of amounts due for the use of toll roads,” concluded IP.