Portugal has among the best and safest motorway networks in Europe

A new study by Deloitte, presented at the APCAP – Portuguese Association of Motorway and Bridge Concessionaires (Associação Portuguesa das Concessionárias de Autoestradas e Pontes) 25th Anniversary Congress held on July 1st at LNEC in Lisbon, reveals that Portugal ranks first among ASECAP (the European industry association) network countries for road infrastructure quality.

This achievement stems from investment funded—directly or indirectly—by tolls, enabling the country to record accident rates below the European average, all while maintaining a cost per kilometer (adjusted for purchasing power) that is 20% lower than the European average.

The study also issues a warning: the total abolition of tolls would cost €1.5Bn annually—a bill borne entirely by taxpayers—and would structurally compromise the network’s capacity for maintenance and modernisation.

Manuel Melo Ramos, President of APCAP, states: “We believe that a structured, transparent process based on the ‘user-pays’ principle is the best way to maximise public benefit. It is a model that safeguards the present—ensuring the maintenance, operation, and quality of existing infrastructure—while preparing for the future by generating funding capacity for new investments in modernisation, without increasing the public debt burden.

The congress marked the start of a debate that APCAP proposes to continue over the coming months so that, through close collaboration among policymakers, state bodies, concessionaires, and other stakeholders, the future model for road concessions in Portugal can be designed.”

The debate was further explored during a high-level round-table discussion featuring João Jesus Caetano (IMT), Paulo Carmona (IP — Infraestruturas de Portugal), António Pires de Lima (Brisa Group), Luís Silva Santos (Ascendi Group), and António Ramalho (Lusoponte), and was concluded by the Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Hugo Espírito Santo.

Source: APCAP/Deloitte