Truck tolls: what now?

The Superior Court of Justice of the Basque Country (TSJPV) endorsed this Monday the fee established by the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council for heavy vehicles along the entire route of the N-1 and A-15rejecting almost in its entirety the appeal against the foral regulation presented by the National Federation of Transport Associations of Spain, Phenadismer.

The new toll system for heavy vehicles entered into force in Januaryreplacing the two previous ones that were knocked down by the courts in 2018 and 2021. Also in Bizkaia, that same week the tolls for trucks came into force. But what does the recent endorsement mean? What are the practical effects of the application of the current foral regulation?

Here’s how things are:

GIPUZKOA

At which points are tolls being collected?

– N-1: Etzegarate, Ordizia, Tolosa, Andoain, Lasarte-Oria

– A-15: Astigarraga, Belabieta

Will there be discounts?

The sentence admits one of the points of the appeal, the one that maintained that the foral norm violated European regulations by not providing discounts for less polluting heavy vehicles. However, the County Council already corrected this point in December.

Thus, trucks and cranes with efficient engines will benefit from discounts ranging from 15% to 25% on the rate, depending on the type of engine:

– discount d25%: heavy electric, hybrid and gas-powered vehicles, vehicles with an O and ECO label from the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) classification

– 20% discount: heavy vehicles EURO 6

– 15% discount: heavy vehicles EURO 5

– To this discount will be added in October the reduction for frequency, which is contemplated by then discounts up to 13%

BISCAY

At which points are tolls being collected?

– N-240: Usansolo, Bedia, Apario, North Igorre, South Igorre, Arantzazu, Areatza, Zeanuri, Barazar

– BI-625: Arakaldo, Zollo, Bakiola, Ugao-Miraballes, Zaratamo, Lapatza 1, Irubide

Will there be discounts?

– 10% discount: type I and II heavy vehicles on the AP-8 motorway and the Supersur variant

As in Gipuzkoa, trucks and cranes with efficient engines will benefit from discounts ranging from from 15% to 25% on the rate, depending on the type of engine:

– 25% discount: heavy electric, hybrid and gas-powered vehicles, vehicles with an O and ECO label from the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) classification

– 20% discount: heavy vehicles EURO 6

– 15% discount: heavy vehicles EURO 5

Will all vehicles carrying VIA-T be charged?

When the collection lines were established, doubts were raised among some drivers of light vehicles who have VIA-T in their car. The device beeps when passing through the arcs, because the system jumps when recognizing a VIA-T, but Only trucks are collected.

ALAVA

Still there is no unified criteria at the level of the BACalthough it is likely that truck tolls will soon be available in all three territories. In addition, some of the fees established on Biscayan roads affect the route of vehicles coming from Álava.

Álava was precisely the last to raise the debate on tolls: the intention is for them to enter in force by 2026.