The PS bill - which had been announced by the leader, Pedro Nuno Santos, during the debate on Luís Montenegro's Government Program in early April - was joined by those of BE and PCP and also by draft resolutions (not enforceable by law) of IL, PSD/CDS-PP, PAN and Chega.

With the current geometry of the Assembly of the Republic and with the parties not yet giving Lusa a sense of how they will vote on the different initiatives, the outcome of these votes is still unknown.

Speaking to Lusa, PS deputy Isabel Ferreira argued that the socialists have "been consistent in their commitment to gradually reducing tolls until they are eliminated".

"In 2021, we made a 25% discount on quantity in January, then in July 2021 a 50% reduction and now since January this year a 65% reduction," she recalled, referring to the PS government of which she was part as Secretary of State for Regional Development.

The "additional effort" to eliminate tolls altogether, according to Isabel Ferreira, has a "territorial cohesion perspective because it reduces the costs for those who have no alternative and also allows for due access to essential goods and services".

The PS proposal aims to end tolls on the A4 - Transmontana and Marão Tunnel, A13 and A13-1 -Pinhal Interior, A22 - Algarve, A23 - Beira Interior, A24 - Interior Norte, A25 - Beiras Litoral e Alta and A28 -- Minho on the sections between Esposende and Antas and between Neiva and Darque.

"This was a measure included in the PS electoral program," she added, saying that the proposal has an estimated cost of 157 million euros.

According to the PS deputy, the socialists are being consistent in presenting a proposal that is "feasible, fair and timely" and also following the path that the socialists have taken of "gradually reducing" tolls on the former SCUTs.

"Let's hope that the proposal is approved because it is a matter of commitment to territories where there is no alternative [for safe driving]. It is more than fair from the point of view of territorial cohesion and should mobilize and engage all parties," she appealed.

Confronted with the fact that the PS, then with an absolute majority, had voted down in 2023 PSD, Chega and PCP projects to end the payment of tolls, Isabel Ferreira explained that at that time the Government was "still in a process of gradually reducing tolls, with a working group created to study this reduction of context costs associated with mobility and decarbonization issues".

Along the same lines and with only a few differences in the roads covered are the bills of BE and PCP.

The Bloquistas intend to eliminate tolls for motorways accessing inland regions (A22, A23, A24, A25, A28, A29, A41, A42) and the communists want to abolish this payment on the A4, A13, A22, A23, A24, A25, A28, A29, A41 and A42.

The government parties, PSD and CDS-PP, have joined forces in a draft resolution that recommends the gradual and financially responsible reduction of tolls in the interior and in the large metropolitan areas, intending that the executive present to parliament the costs involved in adopting this measure and a study that sets the base values that safeguard the maintenance costs of the roads".

Also not enforceable by law, Chega brings to the debate a draft resolution that provides for the implementation of a gradual plan to exempt tolls, the IL recommends that the Government assess the cost-benefit of exempting tolls on the former SCUTs and the PAN suggests the renegotiation of public-private partnership contracts in the road sector.

Leia Também: Guarda Municipal Assembly wants to eliminate tolls on former Scuts (Portuguese version)