Particle.news
Download on the App Store
6 ARTICLES
·
21h ago

Spain Raises AP-9 and AP-53 Tolls, Prompting Fresh Backlash in Galicia

The increases land as Brussels questions the concession’s legality, with the state paying tens of millions yearly to fund user discounts.

Conductores circulando ayer por la AP-9, con las nuevas tarifas ya en vigor.
La AP-9 a su paso por Rande, en imagen de archivo
Image
LA AP-9 a su paso por Santiago, en una imagen de archivo

Overview

  • New tariffs approved on December 30 took effect January 1, lifting charges across the AP-9 and pushing the AP-53 Lalín–Santiago toll to €7.25 after a 3.6% rise.
  • A Coruña–Vigo now costs €21.4 for light vehicles and Ferrol–Tui €28.10, with route-planner estimates putting AP-9 travel at roughly €0.24 per kilometre, far above comparable long-distance routes.
  • The government cites CPI-linked formulas and the phased recovery of 2023 caps to justify the hikes, while keeping discounts such as free same‑day return with telepeaje and frequent‑user rebates.
  • Public subsidies to the AP-9 concessionaire exceed €83 million a year to finance bonifications, with about €420 million spent since 2018.
  • Political fallout intensified as PPdeG denounced the rises and the BNG and consumer groups demanded freezes or full gratuity, while Congress has repeatedly delayed an AP-9 transfer and the EU has deemed the 2048 extension unlawful; Transport Minister Óscar Puente has pegged a potential rescue at around €4 billion.