A dialogue between Aiscat and Art for the protection of investments on motorways
The motorway sector has always been the driving force behind the economy and development of territories and the country and is in need of investment
by Aiscat
4' min read
4' min read
Dear Director Fabio Tamburini,
As Aiscat, we appreciate your decision to shine a spotlight on the contents of Resolution 75 of the Transport Regulation Authority, which concerns us motorway concessionaires. We believe in the value of confrontation, an element that has always distinguished our relations with Art, in the sign of a constructive approach to protect the strategic importance of the motorway network for the country. A dialogue that we want to continue today, first and foremost by emphasising the indispensability of investment in the infrastructure.
The motorway sector has always been the driving force behind the economy and development of territories and the country, a crucial asset that moves 90% of passengers and 87% of goods travelling by road. The Italian motorway infrastructure is the oldest in Europe, the busiest and the most complex: suffice it to say that the more than 500 km of tunnels are equal to half of the European total. At the same time, the increase in traffic volumes calls for measures to ensure smooth traffic flow, traffic safety and efficient logistics.
Without dwelling on the positive effects on national GDP, employment and induced activities deriving from the realisation of infrastructure works, it is worth remembering that the investments of the concessionaires translate each year into a fundamental contribution to the State budget through the payment of indirect and direct taxes, fees and surcharges. The total amount of these payments translates into transfers to the State equal to about 50% of net toll revenues.
Despite the highlighted strategic nature of the sector, the regulatory framework of the sector is fragmented: although it was introduced by Art in 2019, it is only applied to 5 out of 26 concessionaires. In the meantime, the tariff freeze between 2019 and 2023, combined with rising inflation and the increase in raw material costs, has aggravated the economic imbalance, particularly affecting the largest and most complex networks, which need more investment. Similarly, smaller networks, engaged in growth investments and operating in a less established market, are also affected. Add to this the introduction of new regulations that require further investments, including technological ones, in the network to safeguard the safety of users. The sector thus finds itself in an exceptional and unsustainable situation: urgent financial solutions are needed, capable of sustaining investments without burdening users, taking into account that, unlike other regulatory sectors, motorways have neither incentive instruments nor flexibility or tariff adjustment mechanisms consistent with the evolution and increase in costs.
