The concessions that will continue to increase their toll rates

After the uproar over the increase in toll rates, the Minister of Transportation, Guillermo Reyes, signed the decree so that the stations regulated by the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) and the National Institute of Roads (Invías) will not present increases. Nevertheless, some concessions will maintain their increases arguing that the increases were made before the issuance of the decree.

(See: Concessions that raised toll prices must lower them).

Among them is the Autopistas del Caribe concession, which increased on January 10 with the endorsement of the ANI. “The Autopistas del Caribe Concession complies with the guidelines established by the National Infrastructure Agency and reiterates its commitment to this project, which is already generating social and economic benefits”, they point out in a statement.

The concession also ensures that, being a private initiative without public resources, Its financial structure would be impacted and therefore its execution, which is why it carried out the increases in its 6 tolls.

(See: Petro’s warning to concessions that raise toll prices).

“Failure to do so puts its continuity at risk, as well as the generation of more than 4,700 jobs, the construction of 74 kilometers of second roads between Cartagena and Barranquilla, 20 kilometers in variants, 16 pedestrian bridges, 8 intersections and the operation and maintenance of all the corridorthey say.

It is worth remembering that the Caribbean Highways Project has suspended for more than 1 year the collection of the toll rate in the Turbaco Station, fact that impacts, as he has stated, “notably our financial structure“.

Other concessions that increased before the decree are: Armenia – Pereira – Manizales with 7 tolls, Bogotá (Fontibón) – Faca – Los Alpes with two tolls, Highway Development of the East Medellín with two tolls and Autopista Conexión Norte with one toll.

Even though Decree 50 of 2023 (the one that freezes the hikes) It has already entered into force and warnings have been issued for those who ignore the decision. Another of the tolls that has risen is that of Aburrá, in Antioquia.

(See: Tolls: they sign and publish a decree that requires the freezing of rates).

One of the complaints about that station comes from the Colombian Federation of Cargo Carriers by Road (Colfecar), who announced the rise.

“The case of the Aburrá toll, in Antioquia, is very complex. It is the forced Antioquia-Buenaventura route due to the closure of Pacifico 2. And after all the announcements from the Government they insist on increasing the rate by 85.8%, reducing the region’s competitiveness”, Colfecar points out in a trill in which he attaches images that would compare the prices of 2022 with the current ones.

Given the delay in signing the decree, there was 75 concessions that managed to update their rates since midnight on January 16, since the law establishes that the increase must be made from that day. Only 35 concessions did not make the increase.

(See: Batteries!: Not all tolls will have their price rise frozen).

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