Europe 1 with AFP
modified to
4:16 p.m., July 22, 2022
The main motorway networks will grant this summer a 10% reduction on toll expenses paid in holiday vouchers, after the Minister of Transport Clément Beaune asked for a “gesture” from the motorway companies. While the rise in fuel prices increases the budget for summer holidays, Sanef, Vinci and APRR announced this measure between Monday and Tuesday.
However, it is reserved for toll expenses paid by means of holiday vouchers deposited on electronic toll badges. It will be effective from Thursday until September 15. The 4.5 million French people who benefit from holiday vouchers can deposit up to 250 euros on their electronic toll badge, ie a maximum possible discount of 25 euros.
“We will have this new discussion from the start of the school year for the beginning of the year 2023”, announced Clément Beaune at the microphone of CNews this Friday. “You can’t have a toll increase of 6%, 7% or 8% to keep up with inflation – it’s impossible.”
After having asked Sunday in Le Parisien “a gesture” to the motorway companies, the Minister of Transport was “welcomed” by the response of the motorway companies, Tuesday, during a visit to the airport of Roissy- Charles de Gaulle. The new minister specified that he was to receive the motorway companies on Wednesday morning.
“There is the question of tolls which are revalued or reassessed each year in general in February: we will anticipate these discussions with the motorway companies, it will take several weeks”, indicated Clément Beaune.
Moderate the price of the motorway fare over the long term
The Sanef group, a subsidiary of the Spanish group Abertis, said in a press release “open to consultation with the State to better ensure the moderation of the motorway tariff over the long term, in the new inflationary context that we are experiencing”. Vinci recalled for its part that it had proposed a “highway decarbonization plan” including multimodal exchange platforms, carpooling parking lots, and other solutions supposed to “reduce the dependence of motorists on fuels”.
“An investment plan of this magnitude could obviously also include tariff moderation measures limiting the impact of the repercussion of inflation on the toll increases of the coming years, included in the concession contracts”, underlined in a press release Pierre Coppey, president of Vinci Autoroutes.