Spanish government to launch state-owned motorway operator?
Source:worldhighways 2014-4-1 11:32:00
The Spanish government may launch a state-owned motorway operator as part of a plan to solve the economic difficulties that nine operators are currently undergoing. As part of the plan, the operators' will see their debt to banks reduced from Euro 3.6 billion. A further solution, which is also being considered by the government, is to dissolve financially challenged operators in an orderly fashion. At present, the operators and the government are in negotiation over a possible solution.
The motorway toll operations said to be in financial difficulties include the radial roads in Madrid, the Madrid - Barajas airport motorway, the Madrid - Toledo motorway, La Ocana - La Roda motorway, Cartagena - Vera and Alicante's ring road.
During the first two months of 2014, traffic volumes on Spain's toll motorways decreased by 0.73% on the same period the previous year to 12,514 vehicles per day. This is the lowest volume in 17 years and 35.8% lower than the highest figure ever registered in 2007. Traffic figures for January 2014 went down by 1.6% on January a year before and by 12.7% the previous month. At the end of 2013, traffic figures at Spain's toll motorways had dropped by 33.6% on the highest ever figures from 2006 to 15,864 vehicles per day.