Dear Editor, If there is a suitable alternative, I have no problem with tolls. The A22 does not have a suitable alternative.
The idiots in Lisbon will not listen to us. My problem is that as a visitor, the arrangements are so complex and, frankly, theft by any other name.
I have had it confirmed by the Portuguese Tourist office in London that:
Hiring
– Motorway Service Areas
– Post Office
(CTT Correios)
– Via Verde Portugal Shops
deposit of €27 (this will be returned to the driver when the device is returned in good condition to the place from where it was hired)
+ A minimum of €10 (for light vehicles) to load the device and €20 (for heavy vehicles)
+ Hiring costs: €6 for the first weekand €1.50 thereafter.
– Appropriate for a short stay;
– Device is not linked to the vehicle’s license plate;
– the balance is not refundable;
– A minimum of €10, to recharge device at Post Offices (CTT/Correios) or Payshop network.
I bet less than 1% of all tourists entering Portugal will leave by the same route and so will lose their €27. So if I enter via the North and wend my way down through Portugal and leave from the South, I cannot get my €27 back.
I am contacting every site I can (Trip Advisor etc) and advising people not to visit Portugal.
IAN JONES, by email
Editor’s note: Dear Ian, please read our story “Preparations underway for A22 tolls”, where we clarify the matter regarding returning the devices.
