Manel Nadal, Catalonia’s Secretary of Mobility, has reignited the highway-toll debate by advocating for tolls to return across Spain, including Catalonia. In an interview with Cadena SER, Nadal argued that a toll imposed only in Catalonia would be “incomprehensible” if the rest of Spain’s highways remained free, and called for a coordinated national approach. The debate follows the removal of tolls on AP-7 sections between Tarragona, Valencia and Alicante on 1 January 2020, and between La Jonquera and Tarragona on 1 September 2021. The AP designation remained in place after those sections became toll-free, while tolls continue on some other Spanish motorways.
Nadal has warned that congestion and road incidents could intensify pressure for change within two or three years. Catalan officials argue that a nationwide approach could avoid unequal costs and traffic diversion that might follow a region-only charge. Spain’s road network already combines toll-free motorways with routes that retain tolls. On the Alicante to Cartagena motorway, for example, an open-toll arrangement means drivers pay at the Los Montesinos and La Zenia toll points when their journey crosses them, while some intervening sections can be used without crossing a toll barrier.
Addressing Congestion and Safety
Traffic figures underline the pressure on the AP-7 and C-58 in Vallès Occidental. In summer 2026, the two roads recorded a combined 240,677 vehicle-hours of equivalent delay, 9.1% more than in the comparable period of 2025, information from figures from the Servei Català de Trànsit reported by Diari de Sabadell. The AP-7 accounted for 128,308 vehicle-hours, an 11% year-on-year increase; ordinary traffic problems made up about 77% of its total delay. Across both roads, circulation problems accounted for 79.2% of delays, accidents for 11.6%, while the remaining 9.1% came from breakdowns, fires and other incidents.
The same summer report recorded 31 accidents involving victims on the AP-7 in Vallès, up 47.6% year on year, and 27 on the C-58, down 20.5%; none was fatal. On the AP-7, traffic-related problems rose 14%, while delays linked to breakdowns and fires increased 43.3%. These figures put congestion at the center of the toll debate, but do not establish that charging drivers would itself reduce collisions.
Authorities are also pursuing operational safety measures. A plan reported by El Periódico envisages variable speed controls and the possibility of lowering the limit to 100 km/h on about 200 kilometres of the AP-7. In the period covered by that report, the motorway recorded 12 deaths in 646 accidents through the end of September. It also reported a 33% rise in fatalities, serious injuries twice as high as in 2019, a 40% increase in breakdowns during the year and a 20% rise in incidents involving trucks since 2019. Ramon Lamiel, director of the Servei Català de Trànsit, described the road-safety objectives as “more ambitious.”
One model discussed in connection with road charging is the Eurovignette, a European structure for charging heavy goods vehicles. The debate has also included projections about a phase-out by 2032 and possible distance-based charges for private vehicles, but those projections are not an adopted Spanish or Catalan toll scheme. No general restoration of tolls has been approved, and no implementation date has been set. Portugal’s satellite-based tolling system has been cited as a technological benchmark, while Catalonia’s traffic authorities continue to use measures such as restrictions on overtaking and speed adjustments, alongside controls on driving times.
Funding Maintenance and Public Transport
Supporters of the toll proposal argue that revenue could go toward road maintenance and public transport improvements. They say a dedicated payment system would link road use with investment in the transport network, rather than relying solely on general taxation. Congestion and safety concerns have added urgency to the argument, although traffic figures alone do not determine how any new charges would be allocated.
Freight traffic is a particular concern. The AP-7 carries large truck volumes, with the original figures cited in the debate putting daily traffic at about 15,000 trucks through La Jonquera and another 35,000 in the Vallès area. Temporary measures can divert an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 trucks a day, but officials say such interventions do not replace a broader strategy for managing traffic and funding infrastructure.
Basic Routes Targeted
Routes named in discussions of a possible toll system include the AP-2, the AP-7, the Eix Transversal, the C-16 between Barcelona and Puigcerdà, the C-14 between Salou and Seu d’Urgell, and the C-12 between Amposta and Àger along the Ebro. These are potential candidates raised in the policy debate, not a confirmed list of roads selected for charging.
The Catalan government frames a coordinated toll policy as a matter of safety, sustainability and infrastructure funding. Critics question whether new charges are necessary when tax revenues are high and maintenance can be funded through general taxation. Spain’s toll changes were welcomed by many drivers, but the subsequent growth in traffic and reported congestion have renewed debate over how road costs should be shared. Any nationwide change would need to address differences between toll-free and tolled routes, as well as the impact on commuters and freight operators, along with regional traffic.
