COSTA del Sol motorists have called on Spain’s government to slash tolls on one of the region’s main thoroughfares amid warnings that mobility in the area has become “insufferable.”
In a Change.org petition signed by more than 400 users as of today (Tuesday), motorists complained that tolls on the privately-run Autopista del Sol (AP-7) were among the steepest in Spain.
They added that thousands of workers and students have no choice but to pay, as the only viable alternative – the state-owned A-7 – is often congested.
The Autopista del Sol, a 105-km toll road linking Malaga with Guadiaro, north of Gibraltar, currently costs €11.60 to travel end-to-end.
Petitioners said fees could surge by around 60% during the summer, approaching €40 and making the tolls unsustainable for many residents.
Motorists pointed to Galicia’s AP-9 toll road as a model, where return trips completed within 24 hours are free of charge.
Frequent users also enjoy additional discounts, with some reductions reaching up to 93% of the final price.
The Spanish Ministry of Transport pledged in July 2024 to study similar aid measures for the AP-7, but these remain unimplemented.
Andalucian motorists have called for equal treatment, arguing that applying the same discounts as in Galicia would help decongest the A-7, improve safety, and make daily commuting more affordable for residents of the Costa del Sol.
Though technically owned by Spain’s government, the Autopista del Sol has been run by concessionaire Ausol since it opened in 1999.
The AP-7 recently introduced new toll rates following the end of the high tourist season, cutting toll fees by around 40% compared with the summer months.
Ausol has set the most popular route – Malaga to Marbella – at €5.50, a 38% reduction compared with the previous months.
Toll rates are regulated by specific Spanish government decrees, which define high and low season pricing.
High-season rates apply from June to September and for 17 days around Easter.
Regular users who meet the conditions for frequent use do not pay high-season rates, either in summer or at Easter, and can receive an additional discount of up to 50%.
Ausol director general Juan Marchini said: “Users don’t need to register anywhere; the discounts are applied automatically if the conditions of habitual use are met, and as long as a single payment method, such as a credit or debit card or the Via-T system, is used.”
The Via-T system, increasingly popular among regular drivers, allows vehicles to pass through toll plazas without stopping, saving time and money.
According to a report by the independent organisation Automovilistas Europeos Asociados (AEA), the AP-7 is positioned in the “middle of the table” nationally for toll prices.
The Malaga–Estepona stretch (Ausol I) ranks 10th in Spain, with prices per kilometre ranging from €0.18 in high season to €0.11 in low season.
The Estepona–Guadiaro stretch (Ausol II) ranks 12th, with rates between €0.17 and €0.10.
Ausol insisted that the two-season pricing model keeps the AP-7 among the most affordable toll roads for nearly eight months of the year, with higher prices only during the four summer months and Easter.
The company also argued that public perception of high tolls is influenced by the road’s length – at 105 km, it is the fourth-longest toll road in Spain.
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