Walter Finch
Confusion reigned at the Spain-Portugal border on New Year’s Day as both toll booths and payment signs remained in place on the first day they were supposed to be abolished.
The toll gates on the A-22 motorway between Ayamonte in Spain and Castro Marim in Portugal – which have been charging drivers for 13 years – were supposed to be officially scrapped on January 1, 2025.
However, border officials confirmed that they had received ‘no official notification’ about the changes, despite the widely-publicised government announcement.
Throughout New Year’s Day, dozens of confused motorists were seen stopping at the payment points, attempting to pay with credit cards that the machines – while still powered on – wouldn’t accept.
The only visible change, according to border officials, was that ‘the three traffic lights at the three payment points are now fixed on red, when normally they are green, only turning red when any of the machines are not operational at that time.’
The tolls, first introduced in 2011 during Portugal’s financial crisis, had been a source of tension between the Algarve region and Huelva in Spain.
Businesses and residents argued that the fees hampered trade and tourism, turning the Via do Infante into a financial burden rather than a cross-border link.
Alberto Fernández, the mayor of Ayamonte on the Spanish side, welcomed the end of the toll, stating ‘we are overjoyed, not just here but across Huelva province.’
He noted that the toll had acted as a barrier: “A person from Faro who wants to come to eat or shop in Ayamonte, besides fuel and the cost of food or products they buy, has to pay an added price, for infrastructure that was also made with European funds.”
Carmen Báñez of the Ayamonte Chamber of Commerce said that the toll’s removal eliminates a cost for Spanish companies, whose ‘goods and products increased in price, being less competitive compared to Portuguese companies.’
Antonia Pérez, president of the AlCentro Merchants Association, highlighted that beyond the financial burden, the toll created a ‘psychological barrier’ and noted that Portugal’s ‘complicated payment system’ had deterred many visitors.
The decision to scrap the toll came after Portugal’s Assembly approved a law proposed by former Prime Minister Antonio Costa last May.
However, the chaotic first day of implementation, with all signage and payment infrastructure still in place, suggests that some administrative hurdles still need to be cleared before the transition is complete.
For now, travelers can proceed through the toll gates without payment, despite the confusing presence of payment machines and signage that suggests otherwise.
