Tolls on the A22

[Michael Crane]

It's good to see that ECH are watching.

[laserblazer]

I've had a reply back from YOR which says pretty much the same as Steen and ECH. They have no concrete information and will let us know as soon as they do.

[flying fish]

Ok, so there's a Bar code on your hire car right? and this/these sensors read it then right? So when you take your hire car out of car park 4 at the airport, you just stick a piece of insulation tape over the bar code... Simples...click!

[Aitch]

Ok, so there's a Bar code on your hire car right? and this/these sensors read it then right? So when you take your hire car out of car park 4 at the airport, you just stick a piece of insulation tape over the bar code... Simples...click!

simples, nobody can link it back to you via the reg no???????? FFS

[Aitch]

Having read the posts under this topic, I have to say I find it all rather pathetic. I know as a resident, I look at it from a slightly different perspective, but from that point of view the transponder system could not be simpler, but let me raise some points for the visitor to consider:-

The Portuguese government have decided that the A22 will be a toll road. That we are stuck with, it is here to stay. Work installing cables, gantries, cameras etc is well underway. I don’t think there is any way the tolls will be cancelled now.

Look at the majority of the junctions on the A22, most of them are totally unsuitable for the installation of toll booths without major reconstruction and resultant costs.

As a visitor coming to Carvoeiro, to travel from the airport to Cvo and back will cost in the region of 8 to 10 euros. No big deal really. As I understand it they will be able to pre-pay or post-pay within 5 days at post offices, motorway service stations, and probably other locations, as well as on the internet, or if they are going to use the motorway a lot they will be able to hire a transponder. This will become cleare as the system starts next month.

Consider, for a moment a portuguse person, who maybe speaks little or no English, arriving at Gatwick, picking up a hire car to drive into central London. If he knows about the congestion charge he can ask the rental company, who will explain how he has to pay. He then has to find somewhere to pay etc etc. (You cannot pay by phone if you don’t have a uk mobile). Otherwise he has to work it out for himself when he gets into the Zone.. Certainly there will be no instructions, in Portuguese, in his hire car, telling him what to do.

Of course the prices of taxis and airport transfers will go up to cover it. They will have the transponders. If they don’t know by now how the transponder system works, it is only because they have not bothered to find out.

All I am saying really, is stop winging, it is no big deal, worry about it when you get here. I don’t think it will spoil your holiday. And I am sure after April 15th there will be plenty of people telling you how it works, and how to pay. This is Portugal, a little bit of chaos is obligatory.

[Polli62]

The big problem is it is 3 weeks away and even the car hire/Airport transfer companies are still being kept in the dark & no wiser on the system & charges involved so how the hell does the tourist stand a chance of knowing whats going on if these folks don't know.Even some post offices can't give you any info & trying to hire a box is a problem as they don't have any in stock.Yes you are spot on with your quote "This is Portugal, a little bit of chaos is obligatory".

[HampshireRich]

As a visitor coming to Carvoeiro, to travel from the airport to Cvo and back will cost in the region of 8 to 10 euros. No big deal really. As I understand it they will be able to pre-pay or post-pay within 5 days at post offices, motorway service stations, and probably other locations, as well as on the internet, or if they are going to use the motorway a lot they will be able to hire a transponder. This will become cleare as the system starts next month.

.

Aitch - my post a couple of pages back gave the response that payment via the internet would not be happening - if you know different for certain please say so because this is probably the easiest way for holiday-makers like myself to pay.

[Aitch]

The big problem is it is 3 weeks away and even the car hire/Airport transfer companies are still being kept in the dark & no wiser on the system & charges involved so how the hell does the tourist stand a chance of knowing whats going on if these folks don't know.Even some post offices can't give you any info & trying to hire a box is a problem as they don't have any in stock.Yes you are spot on with your quote "This is Portugal, a little bit of chaos is obligatory".

I have my transponders, therefore there is no reason why the airport transfer companies should not have theirs.

[laserblazer]

I have my transponders, therefore there is no reason why the airport transfer companies should not have theirs.

Transfer companies are not the main issue here. They drive you back to the airport, charge a bit more to cover the tolls and then it is down to them to pay it. As I see it, our main worry is how do we pay it when we take our hire car back to Faro at 7am? The hire car operators have said they don't know what's happening, so they are not going to buy any equipment for all of their cars until they know if it's necessary.

[sam]

Just to further confuse the issue. The tolls have already been introduced on some roads in the north. There is a recent thread on the ExPats site about UK plated owners trying to post pay for their UK plated cars. Several have said you cannot, as the system is apparently not set up for foriegn cars, who apparently can only pay by pre-payment, and this is only by buying/hiring the transponders
Also, apparently car hire companies in the north are aware that it is the driver who is responsible and have sent copies of contracts to the company responsible for collection of fees, and they are overwhelmed and cannot cope. Something for all car hire companies to consider - perhaps then they will sort out this mess.

[cereza]

Having read the posts under this topic, I have to say I find it all rather pathetic. I know as a resident, I look at it from a slightly different perspective, but from that point of view the transponder system could not be simpler, but let me raise some points for the visitor to consider:-

The Portuguese government have decided that the A22 will be a toll road. That we are stuck with, it is here to stay. Work installing cables, gantries, cameras etc is well underway. I don’t think there is any way the tolls will be cancelled now.

Look at the majority of the junctions on the A22, most of them are totally unsuitable for the installation of toll booths without major reconstruction and resultant costs.

As a visitor coming to Carvoeiro, to travel from the airport to Cvo and back will cost in the region of 8 to 10 euros. No big deal really. As I understand it they will be able to pre-pay or post-pay within 5 days at post offices, motorway service stations, and probably other locations, as well as on the internet, or if they are going to use the motorway a lot they will be able to hire a transponder. This will become cleare as the system starts next month.

Consider, for a moment a portuguse person, who maybe speaks little or no English, arriving at Gatwick, picking up a hire car to drive into central London. If he knows about the congestion charge he can ask the rental company, who will explain how he has to pay. He then has to find somewhere to pay etc etc. (You cannot pay by phone if you don’t have a uk mobile). Otherwise he has to work it out for himself when he gets into the Zone.. Certainly there will be no instructions, in Portuguese, in his hire car, telling him what to do.

Of course the prices of taxis and airport transfers will go up to cover it. They will have the transponders. If they don’t know by now how the transponder system works, it is only because they have not bothered to find out.

All I am saying really, is stop winging, it is no big deal, worry about it when you get here. I don’t think it will spoil your holiday. And I am sure after April 15th there will be plenty of people telling you how it works, and how to pay. This is Portugal, a little bit of chaos is obligatory.

Aitch I agree with most of what you say but there is no way you can compare the toll on the A22 to The London Congestion Charge. The LCC covers an area not 1 road and the centre of London does not rely on tourists driving in and out it as the Algarve does. The vast majority of people using the LCC are either on business or locals and they are well versed in how to pay the fees just the same as locals in the Algarve like you will get used to it quickly.
As you say the confusion about the tolls is not unexpected given Portugal's notorious officialdom but it is nevertheless very frustrating that even the rental companies haven't got a clue what is going to happen at this late stage! I have absolutely no doubt that tourists would be happy to pay the reasonable tolls but if it entails going to buy transponders or buying credits they won't be arsed to do so and the simple answer when there is so much competition for tourism will be to go somewhere else just as alanr said.
The tolls themselves are one thing but it's the method of collection of the money that's going to be one massive own goal and the other problem will be the extra use of the N125. Just look at the motorway from Lisbon to the Algarve - next to no cars on it because the locals prefer to go on the slower road for nothing and because drivers from Northern Europe can drive down through Spain where the equivalent road has no tolls and a lot cheaper fuel!
If, as the rental firms are saying, there is still no final decision then perhaps everyone should continue to fight against the tolls rather than just roll over and buy transponders now

[EMM]

How about a E15-20 tax on all hire cars bookings.
Simple to charge to the customer and for the companies to pay back to the government.

[HampshireRich]

How about a E15-20 tax on all hire cars bookings.
Simple to charge to the customer and for the companies to pay back to the government.

How much though? - if the toll is based on the cents per kilometer then how would a fixed charge work? Agree its simple but would it be fair?

[snaj1]

I've said before that this is the best forum I am a member of and one of the most informative.
The only thing that lets it down is personal attacks on individuals by a minority because theydo
not agree with a posters views.
It is a shame

Snaj1

[Polli62]

Anyone wanting to sign the petition against the A22 road toll, I found this in the letters section of the Resident.
http://www.peticaopublica.com/PeticaoAs ... P2010N3156