The PS Government effectively voted against all proposals to abolish tolls

The PS Government effectively voted against all proposals to abolish tolls | TRUE

The phrase

“The PS spent eight years in the Government and not only never abolished motorway tolls but also always voted against all proposals from all parties for their abolition.” – Paulo Núncio, CDS deputy

The context

This Thursday, May 2nd, in Parliament, the PS proposal to end tolls on some of the old Scut roads or where there are no alternative routes for use in terms of quality and safety – A4, A13, A22, A23, A24, A25 and A28 – was approved with votes in favor of the socialists, Bloco de Esquerda, PCP, PAN, Livre and Chega. IL abstained, while the PSD and CDS voted against.

Centrists and social democrats criticized the PS and accused the party of “hypocrisy”, pointing out that, under the previous government, they only supported the reduction of tolls in the former Scut.

Paulo Núncio, parliamentary leader of the CDS-PP, went further and said that “the PS’s proposal to eliminate tolls on ex-Scut motorways” should “be entered in the book of the greatest hypocrisies and falsehoods in the history” of Parliament.

“The PS was in the Government for eight years and not only did it never abolish motorway tolls, it also always voted against all proposals from all parties for this abolition”, accused the centrist deputy. Núncio also alleged that, in October 2023, six months ago, the then Minister of Territorial Cohesion, Ana Abrunhosa, had said that “the abolition of tolls was getting further and further away”.

The facts

To verify whether the Government of António Costa had, in fact, voted against all proposals to abolish tolls in the last eight years, PÚBLICO researched, in the site of the Assembly of the Republic, the legislative initiatives that contained the words “Scut”, “toll” and “tolls” and which were presented during the XIII, XIV and XV legislatures.

It is true that, since taking office on November 26, 2015, the socialists have voted against “all proposals from all parties” to abolish tolls, despite having been in favor of reducing tolls in the former Scut.

They even voted against the abolition of tolls provided for in the proposal approved this Thursday. This includes votes against initiatives from parties on the left and right. The Socialist Government also voted against some proposals that provided for the temporary suspension of toll collection on certain motorways or the reversal of increases in the cost of some tolls.

It is also true that Ana Abrunhosa stated that the abolition of tolls was “further and further away”. As Lusa reported, in October 2023, the former minister of Territorial Cohesion highlighted that there were no political, geopolitical or other conditions to “continue to greatly reduce tolls”. “This has to be very clear,” she explained.