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Frustration in Orihuela Costa as AP-7 toll remains while Alicante's is scrapped
Orihuela has again asked that the tolls between Los Montesinos and La Zenia be removed
While Alicante drivers are delighted with the news that the AP-7 ring-road around the city will remain toll-free for another 12 months, the development has angered Orihuela City Council, which has been petitioning the Ministry of Transport for years to remove the motorway tolls between Los Montesinos and Villamartín-La Zenia, “at least during the high season.”
This stretch of Orihuela Costa motorway is one of the most expensive in the country and the council has criticised Minister Óscar Puente for “once again ignoring the historic demand of the residents and visitors of the Orihuela coast.”
The Councillor for Infrastructure, Víctor Valverde, says that he has lost count of the number of times his department has asked the Ministry to respond to this request: “But we still haven’t received a response.”
While the councillor considers the decision to remove the charges from the Alicante motorway a positive step, he stressed that it's just as important to relieve the traffic jams that choke up the N-332 and the CV-95 during the summer – something that could be achieved by making the AP-7 more affordable.
As it is, very few cars actually use the Orihuela Costa motorway, simply because it’s too expensive. This section of road barely sees 6,000 vehicles a day, largely because it costs more than 9 euros to travel just 7 kilometres.
Instead, drivers swing off the motorway just before the tool booths.
“Meanwhile, the N-332 supports more than 40,000 vehicles per day and suffers kilometre-long traffic jams in summer,” Mr Valverde pointed out.
“The Ministry of Transport recognises that the elimination of the toll in El Campello has had clear benefits, reducing congestion and improving road safety, so this measure should be applied to the section that crosses the Vega Baja region where the situation is just as serious or even worse, especially in certain months of the year,” he concluded.
In other news: Elderly British couple found dead in their Costa Blanca home
Image: Ayuntamiento de Orihuela
