Tolls on the A22

[shanagarry]

The only new thing is the 90day + rental of transponders

or

These can apparently be purchased from any Via Verde shop

Sam - are you talking about rental or purchase - as purchased units are available at MS Cars in Portimao for €25 - that's where I got mine.

I suspect as the entire project has been half-baked from the outset - this is another component that has not been thought through

[Matryx]

Whilst on my way to Faro airport this morning, he taxi driver told me that three of the tolls had been set on fire!!

[pete-flint]

They used to do the same with speed, sorry, safety cameras in our area, had to give it up, the "green lobby" complained about the smoke from the tyres !!

[joeysoap]

2 cases of the new speed camera vans burned out in ireland

http://bit.ly/esIppG

[Bruce Wallis]

Whilst on my way to Faro airport this morning, he taxi driver told me that three of the tolls had been set on fire!!

I'm not surprised, there is quite a vigorous anti movement here.

I saw a poster declaring " A22 PORTAGEM....NAO!!", on the N125, just by the Lagoa/Facitil traffic lights.

[SAM SPARKLE]

That’ll teach ‘em

[sam]

The only new thing is the 90day + rental of transponders

or

These can apparently be purchased from any Via Verde shop

Sam - are you talking about rental or purchase - as purchased units are available at MS Cars in Portimao for €25 - that's where I got mine.

I suspect as the entire project has been half-baked from the outset - this is another component that has not been thought through

The article was talking about long term transponder rental for foreign registered cars.

[James Faro]

Indeed those gantries have been destroyed and burnt!

http://www.algarveresident.com/story.asp?XID=41387

Well, three cheers for those who did it. This sort of thing only happens when those in power steamroll policies in without consultation and without a mandate when businesses will suffer!

I hope they burn a few more. Many laws or repealed laws have been introduced to because of direct physical action from protesters.

In 1990 Trafalgar Square in London was smashed to bits because of the poll tax. The result? It was abolished. Women threw themselves at the feet of horses and got killed to get the vote! The result? They got the vote.

The sad fact of life is that the more you are subservient to politicians then they will walk, jump and stamp all over you. The local and national politicians will now take notice.

Of course, if a referendum or a manifesto pledge to introduce these tolls were passed by the people in the first place then that is a different matter and you have to accept that decision as that is democracy no matter how much a bitter pill it is to swallow.

[roy4eyes]

Following on Portugal's 3 year financial bail out we have an ideal lever to use E.U. law to oppose these tolls.

I have put a proposal for the Vozes Intensas Carvoeiro Association on their page and would welcome comments, any suggested improvements etc.

[James Faro]

Following on Portugal's 3 year financial bail out we have an ideal lever to use E.U. law to oppose these tolls.

I have put a proposal for the Vozes Intensas Carvoeiro Association on their page and would welcome comments, any suggested improvements etc.

Very good, Roy. In the present political and economic climate in Portugal anything is possible and the introduction on the tolls is anything but certain or inevitable.

[Bruce Wallis]

The Portuguese tolls are getting really expensive.....

Even with out paying the A22 tolls, and similar ones planned for the A15 north of Vila Real, it cost me nearly 50 euros to drive from the south to the north of Portugal, and up into Spain.

Once into Spain, on just as good, if not better, roads....not one cent in tolls.

Unless you want to visit the far north, as we did, when travelling back up to the Spanish ports, or even all the way to France, you are far better cutting diagonally up across into Spain, before heading north.

This way you avoid the tolls....and even better, you pay 1:36 a litre for petrol, instead of 1:60.

[Polli62]

I know quite a few people who use the Spanish route, heading for Seville and then onto to the Algarve, no tolls at all, and of course cheaper fuel.

[sam]

I know quite a few people who use the Spanish route, heading for Seville and then onto to the Algarve, no tolls at all, and of course cheaper fuel.

Thats what we did last summer, and some really interesting places to stop off on the way.
I was talking to someone recently and they said they love Portugal, but it has become so expensive they are looking elsewhere to holiday.

[cereza]

Last year I drove down through Portugal but returned via Seville and saved a lot. The other tip is to use a diesel vehicle if possible - unlike the UK diesel is cheaper than petrol and that goes for Portugal as well. This trip my hire car company gave me a diesel Corsa instead of the usual petrol car and I filled up yesterday at Continente in Portimao Retail Park for 1-36 per litre as opposed to paying 1-53 for petrol and I got a discount voucher to use in the supermarket and when I use that I will get a 5 cent per litre discount fuel voucher.