Spanish government considers discount scheme for regular users of Costa del Sol's AP-7 toll road: this is how much you might save

Following the recent meeting to review the coastal train line and other mobility issues along the Costa del Sol, the Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, José Antonio Santano, agreed to "look into" toll discounts for regular users of the AP-7 motorway in Malaga province. The argument for such a review is that there already exists a model to be followed elsewhere in Spain. While it is true that there is still a long and complex negotiation to be had with the private concessionary company (Ausol) regarding the nitty-gritty of the terms to be agreed, the Spanish government already has a roadmap for its possible implementation.

The model that could be copied in Malaga is that of the AP-9 motorway in Galicia. Only workers and students who have to use the AP-7 every day to go to their place of work or studies would be entitled to the subsidy. Therefore, neither tourists nor sporadic, leisure or weekend users would be eligible for the discount.

To benefit from the scheme frequent users would have to register for the electronic toll system (better known as Via-T), which can be obtained free of charge from some operators, or for a small annual fee. This allows drivers to pass through the toll area on a road reserved for this purpose. They would be charged telematically without having to stop the vehicle to pay in cash or with a card. The journey is charged to the user's account, thus saving them time and money.

If the terms of the Galician model were applied, 50% of the current price will be subsidised. Here's how it would work in practice: the outward journey, for example in the morning on the way to work, would be paid for by the user, while the same-day return journey home would be free of charge, that 50% would be charged to the funds allocated by the Ministry that in turn would reimburse the concessionary.

The regular toll fare along the Costa del Sol is currently 5.25 euros (although it's the summer peak price of 8.60 euros being charged at the moment) between Malaga and Marbella. Therefore frequent drivers would only have to pay 2.62 euros per day, about 57.64 euros per month for 22 working days per month. The other half would be borne by central government.

This and other roads with similar discounts in the north of Spain form part of the negotiations that Andalucía's regional minister for development at the Junta, Rocío Díaz, presented to the Secretary of State in a meeting prior to the main meeting on 17 July. At this pre-meeting she highlighted the "great imbalance in traffic intensity between the A-7 (80%) and the AP-7 (20%)." In order to rebalance things, Díaz suggested options such as a total or partial toll subsidy and increasing the toll road's connections with the areas it services.

Taking the case of the AP-9 as perhaps the best way forward to model for Malaga province, it is a motorway that connects all the main cities within the region of Galicia. All return journeys completed within 24 hours of the outward journey are free, subject to certain conditions. The 100% discount on the return journey to the point of origin applies every day of the week. However, the return journey must be the same as the outward journey. State aid is also given to the AP-66 (Campomanes-León) and the AP-68 (Haro-Alfaro in La Rioja). There are also plans to introduce the subsidy on the AP-53 (also in Galicia).

Closer to home for the case of Malaga is Alicante, but this is a controversial comparison. At first glance the two appear to have similarities: both provinces have a similar population and are tourist areas. Even the motorway has the same name - AP-7. But the Alicante case, where toll barriers have just been raised so that all drivers can use it free of charge until October, is very different to that of the Costa del Sol.

The key difference is that there is no need to recover those lost tolls in Alicante for payment to any private concessionary because that particular stretch of motorway is government-owned and managed by part of the highways department (SEITT). It is one of the toll roads to be bailed out from bankruptcy years ago.

In contrast, the AP-7 along the Costa del Sol is privately managed through concession contracts. Therefore any change in the operating conditions would have to be (re-)negotiated with the private parties concerned.