Roads: Will we move from warning signs to pay-per-use?

The latest study by the Spanish Road Association (AEC) has put it in stark contrast: our roads, and more specifically their pavements, are in their worst condition in the last forty years, at the same level as in the late 1980s, when the AEC began conducting its traditional road studies. Who knows if the poor condition of the roads played a role in the accident of the ill-fated footballer Diogo Jota?

This research is already being aided by Artificial Intelligence, almost always for the better, although there are still aspects to be refined, as it still doesn't allow for the review of elements such as signage or containment barriers.

Two big figures

The report presents compelling figures. Two in particular. On the one hand, 52% of the roads in the State, the Regional Governments, and the Provincial Councils—let each one take its own course—are suffering from serious or very serious deterioration in their pavement. That is, failures that, over thousands of kilometers, require action that won't even take a year.

The second figure is the €13.5 billion needed to address the identified shortcomings. This figure far exceeds the €9.5 billion estimated in 2022, when the previous report was presented. And it's true, inflation has a lot to do with it. But once removed from the equation, it turns out that the annual deterioration of the roads has been 8% during this period.

Recourse to signs

Logical: experts point out that to maintain the common heritage of roads, valued at €226 billion, in good condition, approximately €5 billion would have to be invested each year. However, the various administrations spend only €2 billion annually. Consider the accumulating deficit.

Perhaps the saddest thing is seeing how signs or panels warning drivers that they're approaching a construction zone—which isn't one—or that the road surface is in poor condition for miles are becoming more and more casual. "If something happens, we'll warn you," they often tell us.

Pay for your use

Even worse is the insistence that, since there's no money, if we want better roads, we should pay for them. There's no plan to draw funds from the 35 billion euros in annual tax revenue generated by the automotive and transportation sectors. On the contrary, the solution could be to have to pay to use roads that are currently free. This idea, for now shelved, has been put back on the table by the construction industry association Seopan.

They're proposing a rate of three euro cents per kilometer for cars and 14 for trucks. Think about, for example, what it would cost you to get to and from the beach.