Portugal’s motorways among Europe’s best, says Deloitte study

Portugal has one of Europe’s highest-quality and safest motorway networks, while charging tolls that are below the European average, according to a new study by Deloitte presented at the 25th anniversary congress of APCAP, the Portuguese Association of Motorway and Toll Bridge Concessionaires.

The report, unveiled at the National Laboratory for Civil Engineering (LNEC) in Lisbon, found that Portugal’s tolls cost around 20% less per kilometre than the European average when adjusted for purchasing power.

According to the study, the country’s extensive investment in its motorway network – funded directly or indirectly through toll revenues – has helped create a road system with safety levels above the European average and lower accident rates.

It also challenges the perception that Portugal relies excessively on toll roads. The report found that 58% of the country’s motorways are tolled, a figure below the average across member countries of ASECAP, the European road infrastructure association.

However, the study warns that completely abolishing motorway tolls would come at a significant cost. Deloitte estimates that replacing the current model with taxpayer funding would require around €1.5 billion annually, raising concerns over the long-term financing of road maintenance, operation and future upgrades.

The APCAP also estimates that recent government measures to remove tolls on selected motorways – including the Algarve’s A22 Via do Infante and the A23 linking Torres Novas to Guarda – could reduce annual revenues by around €200 million, arguing that the shortfall will ultimately be borne by taxpayers while reducing funds available for new infrastructure investment.

APCAP president Manuel Melo Ramos said a “structured and transparent” user-pays system remains the most effective way to finance Portugal’s motorway network.

He argued that toll revenues help maintain existing infrastructure while creating financial capacity for future investment without increasing public debt.

The report is described by APCAP as the first comprehensive forward-looking assessment of Portugal’s motorway concession model, comparing the national network with those of other leading European countries and examining possible future scenarios.

Speaking at the congress, Christophe Boutin, president of ASECAP, called for continued modernisation of concession models and tolling systems rather than dismantling them.

He said concession-based funding has already demonstrated its value and should play an important role in developing greener, more resilient and more inclusive transport networks across Europe.

Melo Ramos also noted that most European countries levy road charges in some form, whether through motorway tolls, bridge and tunnel fees, urban access charges or charges for heavy goods vehicles. He pointed to the EU’s Eurovignette Directive, which links road charging not only to infrastructure use but also to the environmental impact of vehicles.

The congress also featured representatives from Institute for Mobility and Transport (IMT), Infraestruturas de Portugal, Brisa, Ascendi and Lusoponte, before closing with an address by Secretary of State for Infrastructure Hugo Espírito Santo.

While the findings support the current concession model, the study was commissioned and presented by APCAP, which represents motorway concessionaires. Its conclusions therefore reflect the organisation’s position in the ongoing debate over the future of road tolls in Portugal.

Source: Executive Digest