Joao

It must be that dusty track you go up that has messed up your transponder, or is it the passing cars raising the dust after they have got up the hill off the main road and are on a straight bit passed your house?
Joao

Jon-Bxl

This thing just gets worse... if it is bad for the residents there, then it will cause a heap of problems with the hoardes that visit and rent cars.

As I mentioned before this is not good to encourage tourism... who wants to leave a credit card open when they leave....

This hasnt been thought through.

We live in Spain, I hope that the transponder can be bought and link to a Spanish account:

Or that the car company can read the transponders before and after... but the other posts about putting your transponder in a foil packet just shows how badly this is all thought out.

But I see this as not working and causing a lot of hassle.

Is it April 7th that they are starting.... ?? its the day we arrive!!

What fun!

Jon

Casa Santo Estevo

New payment system available for cars not registered in PT
News in Spanish.
They are blaming the political crisis in PT for a a few things too.

CHOPPER

Having driven from Tavira to Spain this week and Tavira to Almancil we have seen plenty small buildings that will house the equipment, but have only seen one erected gantry at the Almancil end, so its possible the 15th April will not be the starting date.

EsuriJohn

Tried putting it through google translater but it does not compute into Spanish even after an hour I think it must be Basque and I don't think google can manage that.

Fredbargate

News in Spanish.

Portugal plans to launch on 4 a new system for paying the tax of its highways to try to facilitate the movement of foreign drivers for these vials. The new method will gain a bonus to have a fixed price and a period of three days, explained yesterday the Regional Minister of Infraestrutura, Augustine Hernandez, after being informed by the Portuguese Government.

The purchase of the bond may be made online, via already enabled in the web theory Correios lusa since December to the prior payment of specific sections, but in reality poses many problems of accessibility and management. Therefore, the Portuguese executive bonus announced that three days can also be purchased at post offices in Portugal and the ATM network Payshop. On 15 Greenway will also hire their payment devices.

In any case, Hernandez warns that the political crisis in Portugal could cause problems in incorporating the new system, as in the neighboring country also senses that could delay the introduction of tolls on four highways all over the country.

The same political circumstances have delayed the Government's response to the requirements Luso made ​​by the European Commission to validate the legality of the controversial tolls, said yesterday in Valladolid as the president of the employers Galician Antonio Fontenla. The business leader said that in the first half of next month could lead to the opinion of Brussels, but did not advance the sign of such an analysis did indicate that Portugal will probably be put in place a system that does not involve devices or acquire or pay in advance the sections to follow.

"There must be a system that does not require to purchase a device or pre-pay tolls'

Antonio Fontenla

EsuriJohn

Strange thing it has just translated into Spanglish.

It seems to apply definitely to the North but may also apply in the South. What it seems to be saying is that there is a scheme being put foreward to allow access for three days which can be booked by internet.

Casa Santo Estevo

google translator

Jon-Bxl

Still no joy for the people that come in and rent a car - this is going to be a real mess.....

I dont mind paying the tolls - I just want a system that can work with the car rental companies - but cant see how this can be done - based on previous feedback....

What a mess!

MrBife

In theory its very easy indeed, any Portuguese registered car owner can fit a Via Verde transponder*. Each time the device passes through a gantry the account for the device is updated instantly online. If the rental company log into the web page for the device (on the VV website) they can see the exact value of tolls due and charge the returning client accordingly.

Procedures for devices for Non Portuguese registered cars still seem to need a bit of clarification.


* from a personal point of view I have had one of these for ten years and use it whenever I go to Lisbon. The system is simple and extremely slick.

Casa Santo Estevo

I have posted some new links in the Spanish area of this forum here
To answer the bit of your posting in read we may not have to! No Spanish driver has been fined driving the roads that already use the Northern toll roads.

Jon-Bxl

Thanks Mrbife... in earlier posts we've discussed this issue and it may not be as simple as that with the rental companies. I wish it was as easy as this.

E.g In car Park 4 where most people pick up the low cost rentals, the internet connectivity to check the cost would be difficult. They would also need to print out the PREVIOUS renters account, so that the renter knows he is only paying for his usage. Not easy when you are in a car park ... and also quite time consuming.

Since the beginning I have said that the car rental companies need a transponder reader capability... BUT as we have heard the rental companies are not putting the transponders in. Also they wont tear up the old credit card open receipt, as usual when we return an undamaged car, so we leave knowing that they have a 'blank cheque'.

Its not clear therefore how this will work for us renters.

Thanks
Jon

MrBife

That wouldn't be of any use as no travel data is stored in the device, the only function of the transponder is to reveal a unique ID number when passing a gantry or sensor.

Jon-Bxl

Sure everyone knows how they work .. the problem I am discussing is how it will work in practice when arriving/leaving Faro airport. That is the problem, that so far hasnt been resolved yet.

chrismortley

Hi John
I contacted two of the smaller hire companies last week how they intended to charge , both said they were still waiting information.
I also asked one of the big hire companies & their reply was what charges the A22 is not a toll road
Maybe they know something we don't

Chris