Motorway corporations owe “3.8 billion euros to users” | EUROtoday

The Transport Regulatory Authority (ART), which Thierry Guimbaud has chaired since December 30, 2023, publishes its third report on the final economic system of motorway concessions. Responsible for monitoring the situations for the opening of transport actions to competitors and the evolution of tariffs – together with motorway tolls –, it warns of the function of the State a couple of years earlier than the expiry of the primary freeway concessions.

Checking their good upkeep, taking stock of the work to be carried out, guaranteeing the appliance of the contract is a “heavy task at a time when state resources are diminishing”warns its president. The latter, former head of the Voies navigables de France, requires preparation for what comes subsequent: how you can finance and handle the motorway community on the finish of the concessions and extra broadly finance transport infrastructure.

The Transport Regulatory Authority publishes its third report on the economics of motorway concessions. It has a specific tone, as a result of the top of concessions is looming, and also you advocate that the State be significantly vigilant within the interpretation of contracts. For what ?

The Macron regulation of 2015 gave the ART the duty of evaluating, no less than each 5 years, in a public report, the economics of motorway concessions. The ART should additionally take inventory yearly on the profitability of those concessions and provides its opinion on amendments and new contracts. She due to this fact has a world imaginative and prescient. However, we’re at a historic second: that of the top of concessions. Between 2031 and 2036, the seven foremost ones will come to an finish. The first will likely be that operated by Sanef within the north-eastern quarter of France.

We should succeed on this unprecedented section of the top of concessions. This is a primary for the State, with excessive stakes and a threat of controversy. The regulator due to this fact offers information to tell the controversy and defend the rights of the consumer, the one who pays the tolls. The revenues that freeway corporations derive are used to cowl their funding and working bills, the price of their debt and the remuneration of shareholders. They should, on the finish of the contract, return the infrastructure to the State “in good condition”, having made all of the investments anticipated of them. This is the place the ultimate steadiness comes into play. In whole, the stakes within the discussions on the top of the concessions exceed 10 billion euros for the State.

You have 74.87% of this text left to learn. The relaxation is reserved for subscribers.