PARIS (Reuters) – The increase in the price of motorway tolls will be limited and less than 3% in 2024, Transport Minister Clément Beaune announced on Wednesday, adding that the next price increases in the coming years will be moderate.
“Next year, there will be a limited increase which will be less than 3%, from February 1,” announced the Minister of Transport.
Clément Beaune assured that the State keeps control of the price of tolls in the face of motorway concessionaires, who criticize the new tax unveiled in September by the government on long-distance transport infrastructure.
Intended to finance “the future plan for transport”, this tax will mainly be imposed on the turnover of large motorway concessions, held by the Eiffage and Vinci groups (SGEF.PA). It should generate 600 million euros per year for the State.
Eiffage estimated that based on its accounts closed at the end of 2022, the government tax project would have resulted in a reduction of around 117 million euros in its consolidated current operating income (ROC).
Vinci, for its part, estimated the impact of the tax at 260 million euros.
The two groups disagree with the government on the possibility of passing this tax on toll prices.
“There has been a lot of misinformation, sometimes lies, linked to this tax on motorway concession companies. It has no impact on the evolution of tolls,” declared Clément Beaune.
(Nicolas Delame and Zhifan Liu)
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