Experts distrust the release of AP7 and propose discounts and price reductions

On December 31, 2019, the AP7 toll road concession ends, which is currently managed by the company Aumar. The debate on the release of this important access road to the region of the Marina Alta It is open, but it is in the hands of the central government to end the concession when the contract ends and take over the highway, or extend its private management.

This Thursday, within the framework of the forum of opinion and debate of the civil society of the Province of Alicante PROA, experts and experts on the situation of communications in the Marina Alta discussed the options that currently exist with the management of the highway, that structures the Valencian territory.

In this sense, Armando Ortuño, professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Alicante, explained that the government has to make a decision in the next six months. And that is that the AP7 is not the only concession nearing completion. Others, such as the road that connects Burgos with the French border are close to expire, and Ortuño believes that the government will opt for a similar solution for all roads that are in the same situation.

Ortuño put on the table the three possible exits to this situation in the Ap7. The first one, that the concession be maintained. In this case, the only advantage it finds is that the environmental costs are paid by the user in each toll, while the disadvantages are greater: the N332 would remain congested, while the AP7 would remain empty, and society, for the most part, rejects that this model continues in force.

The second assumption is the liberalization of the highway. The main advantage for Ortuño is the economic one, since it would be the end of the tolls on this highway. On the other hand, the maintenance would fall on the state, generating a deficit that taxpayers would end up paying. Among the disadvantages Ortuño also spoke of the decrease in demand for public transport and the necessary improvements in the national 332, which could be affected if the Ministry could not cope economically with all of them for the maintenance of the AP7.

The professor in Civil Engineering proposed a third way: not to be released, but to achieve a reduction of between 40 and 60% of the price of tolls, which would be added a bonus for the use of electric vehicles or travel of work, among other possibilities.

To this possibility it united the Cercle Emrpesarial de la Marina Alta. Your president, Sonja Dietz, advocated discounts and deductions to users and bonuses to companies that use this way as transport of their goods, for example. To these options, Dietz added the bonuses to those who visit us in the low-middle season, a measure that is already applied in the Balearic Islands.

The discussion table organized by PROA also included the participation of Andrés Rico, provincial representative of the Official College of Civil Engineering, and Juan Marsal, former president of the Port Authority of Alicante, while Dianense Antonio Cidoncha acted as moderator .

The worst communicated region of the Mediterranean

The AP7 was not the only topic of debate in this forum. Also the TRAM, the Train of the Coast and the National 332 brought to light that the Marina Alta is the worst communicated region of the Mediterranean, becoming "the fourth island".

President of Baleària, Adolfo UtorHe recalled that "connectivity and good communications represent a determining factor for the progress and welfare of citizens", and advocated that the income generated by the port of Dénia remain in the city.

For his part, Juan Riera, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Alicante, lamented the "discrimination" suffered by citizens of the Marina Alta, Marina Baixa and La Safor with respect to other territories.