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Costa del Sol motorway charges to be reduced, but not everyone will benefit
The proposal, to be debated this week, suggests lowering Malaga AP-7 tolls for students and frequent users only
After months of back and forth, the regional government of Andalucía has finally agreed to discuss reducing toll charges on the AP-7 motorway that stretches through the Costa del Sol, but not everyone will benefit.
Back in August, Spain’s Ministry of Transport came under fire from all directions after announcing that tolls on the AP-7 ring road around Alicante city would be eliminated for the summer season. This was good news for commuters and visitors to Alicante, but residents of Málaga were “outraged” at the government’s decision not to scrap motorway charges further south.
At the time, representatives promised to come up with a solution to ease congestion on Malaga’s roads by making it a little cheaper for drivers to take the motorway, and what they’ve come up with this week is a proposal to reduce toll costs for students and motorists who use the AP-7 frequently.
This idea will be presented at a big mobility meeting on Thursday November 28 as a measure to improve the traffic situation while the coastal train is under debate.
The announcement has been met with mixed reactions from local politicians. The sub-delegate of the government, Antonio Salas, accused the opposition party, the PP, of being “sectarian” and not contributing to finding solutions to the region's mobility problems. Mr Salas pointed out that the PP had promised to extend the metro to the technology park (PTA) by 2021, but failed to deliver.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Development, Land Management and Housing, Rocío Díaz, welcomed the proposal to reduce tolls on the AP-7, but emphasised that it was only a first step. The councillor called for concrete solutions to the region's traffic problems, including the use of reversible lanes on the A7 and a commitment to completing the coastal train project, another initiative which has been up in the air for months.
“Citizens are asking us for dialogue, but also for immediate solutions with dates and deadlines to respond to the serious traffic problems in Malaga, the Costa del Sol and the eastern area. It's been four months since we held the first meeting and there's no point in delaying any more. We need commitments and dates for the coastal train on the Costa del Sol and its arrival in Algeciras, or short-term measures that are a priority, such as the use of reversible lanes on the A7. We are at the time for concrete solutions,” said the councillor.
While there are certainly no guarantees until the meeting takes place, most of those involved believe that the Costa del Sol motorway discounts will be applied in the near future. But while the reduction in tolls on the AP-7 is a step in the right direction, it remains to be seen whether it will be enough to alleviate Malaga's traffic congestion.
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