Motorways, toll reimbursement coming in the event of roadworks

Toll refunds in the case of construction sites, transparency obligations on travel information, and a revision of tariff criteria to link tolls to actual investments. These are the main innovations introduced by the Transport Regulatory Authority (Art) and put out for consultation, as explained by chairman Nicola Zaccheo in the presentation of the annual report to the Chamber of Deputies.

The new regulatory scheme, which is currently the subject of stakeholder comments, provides that in the presence of restrictions on the use of the network - due, for example, to road works or prolonged construction sites - the user will be entitled to compensation. The compensation will be calculated on the basis of the reduction in the toll for the route concerned, thus ensuring that the cost borne by travellers is proportionate to the service actually used. In parallel, a second measure strengthening transparency obligations for concessionaires has been put out for consultation. Motorway companies will be obliged to make available up-to-date information on travel times, the distribution of electric recharging stations, the type of refuelling services, and the way in which tolls are calculated and paid. A package of essential data that, in the intentions of the authority, should make infrastructure management clearer and more accessible.

As anticipated in an interview with Sole24Ore, Art's president announced a lowering of motorway tolls as early as next January. This is 'a balance between concessionaires and users that will result in a fairer and more sustainable toll'. There are no estimates on these numbers yet, but 'the aim is to have a more sustainable toll, and therefore a fairer one, strongly linked to the investments made'. In short, 'there will be a general lowering of the toll'. A revision that will be much more palpable in 2027 'because we will still need months of adjustment, but in some sections, in the EFPs already ready, the year is 2026'. The announcement was confirmed at a press conference: 'The motorway tolls will be linked to the actual investments made,' he said. 'We are absolutely certain that there will be a benefit for users and therefore the tolls will be reduced.

The new rules are part of a broader reform process, initiated with the annual law on the market and competition and with the 'Infrastructures' decree, which aims to definitively overcome the model of open-ended concessions and to introduce more stringent criteria on duration, transparency, and the obligations of operators. The Authority, which has already started supervisory and inspection activities in cooperation with the Guardia di Finanza, aims to ensure a stable balance between investment sustainability and user protection. The new regulatory schemes on refunds and transparency represent, in this sense, a key step: ensuring citizens that tolls are no longer an independent variable, but a consideration proportionate to the quality and actual availability of the service.

Then there is the very hot front on passenger protection. The Report points out that Art's Conciliation Service has handled, since it was launched in April 2023, about 45,000 instances, of which more than 97% concerned air transport, with more than 43% concluded with a positive outcome. "To date, the conduct of conciliation procedures has enabled refunds totalling almost EUR 6 million to be awarded to users," Zaccheo concluded