These will be the drivers who could get rid of paying highway tolls in 2024

The tolls for the use of highways have jumped back to the present day after in this electoral campaign of the general elections of 23-J they have become a recurring theme. This measure appears in the document of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, which can be read in the document published by Moncloa: “It is necessary to develop a system of payment for the use of the high-capacity road network that allows maintenance costs to be covered and to integrate the negative externalities of road transport as it happens in the rest of infrastructures “.

Although the specific scope is not yet known, the degree of application of the measure will either be directed at all drivers or part of them, the truth is that according to what is contemplated in the document, the payment will be implemented from 2024. In fact, Brussels has confirmed that the Spanish plan “refers to a payment mechanism for the use of roads that will begin in 2024 in line with the principle of 'who pollutes, pays'”. This triggers theories about who will have to pay and what amounts.

“Who pollutes, pays”

According to El Debate, at the time there was talk that the highway pricing system would be governed by a principle of dynamic pricing, which is consistent with the principle of “who pollutes, pays” to which they allude from Brussels.

This could mean that you will have to pay more or less depending on variables such as the time of circulation (being more expensive at peak times) or depending on what pollutes the car (depending on the famous environmental labels).. It is possible that there is even a license plate reading system (as already exists in some places) to identify the lowest-income cars so that they are exempt from paying.

Although it is still early to know how this measure will be implemented, what is evident is that it will finally be done as of 2024 according to the commitment assumed by the Government before Brussels. As published by El Debate, it is possible that the payment is exempt for student transport, trips to medical appointments or for work reasons, although the last word will be with the autonomous communities, owners of a large part of the roads in our country.