Spanish politician David Toscano from the PP party has lashed out at the plans to impose tolls on the A22 in the Algarve next month, claiming that the measure would see links between Spain and Portugal being “set back by 30 years”.
The politician from Huelva said that his party was looking to conduct an “institutional offence” to force the Spanish government to intercede in the implementation of tolls in Portugal.
The A22 is considered to be the “natural gateway” between Andalucia and the Algarve and David Toscano, the secretary general of the PP party in Huelva, said that the tolls would adversely affect 400,000 tourists and 300,000 transport lorries because of the lack of an alternative route into Portugal from Spain.
“The tolls are equivalent to a full scale attack on trade, transport and tourism during an economic crisis,” he said, adding that the people of Huelva should demand the Spanish government to step in to mediate a compromise to the tolls which will make the journey across the border “slower and more expensive”.
“We cannot allow the A22, which was built by the EU to strengthen ties between Huelva and Portugal and is currently the only connection between the two countries, to become a barrier,” said David Toscano.
“The implementation of tolls would set us back by 30 years.”
However, the demand by David Toscano to see the Spanish government step in has been deemed as “comical” by politician Cinta Castillo from the PSOE party.
Cinta Castillo said: “We are talking about another country. It is comical to demand the Spanish government to step in and prevent tolls on the A22 as this is the responsibility of the Portuguese government.”
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