Until such time as the tolls are removed from the AP-7 in January 2020 the Generalitat has told the Government that drivers across the whole of the Valencia Community should be entitled to the same level of subsidies on their toll roads as is currently the case in Catalonia.
The Director General of Public Works, Carlos Domingo, believes that the Catalonia-Government agreement “once again demonstrates the discriminatory treatment applied by the Mariano Rajoy government to the citizens of the Valencian Community, by not including the Valencian sections in the scheme that carry the very same charges.” He said that there is even more of a case for subsidies to be introduced in the Community as the N-340 and the N-332 are two of the most dangerous state roads in Spain, and subsidies on the AP7 would provide more motorists with a far safer alternative.”
Domingo has insisted that “Valencians and users of the AP-7 should receive exactly the same treatment in terms of investments and subsidies, so we ask that Central Government respects and treats the Valencian Territory on an equal basis”.
The Mediterranean motorway, or AP-7, is a route that connects all the Mediterranean coast from the border with France down to Algeciras. This motorway is part of the network of European Highways known as E-15 and has a number of toll sections although most of it is free.
The first section of the motorway was openedin 1969 between Barcelona and Granollers. Five concessionaires manage the operation of the toll sections on the motorway:
Abertis from the French border to Alicante, Ciralsa around Alicante. Ausur for the Crevillente-Cartagena section. Aucosta for the section between Cartagena-Vera and Ausol for the section Fuengirola-Guadiaro.
