IBTTA Addresses AISCAT’s General Assembly About the Importance of Tolling and Toll Concessions

Many of the world’s most important roadways would not have been built without a toll concession. This has been demonstrated around the world, especially in Europe, where more than 50,000 km of motorways have been built thanks to the model.  

Tolling and toll concessions were of particular interest to the Italian Association of Toll Highways Concessionaires, known as AISCAT, when its General Assembly hosted by its President Diego Cattoni, met on January 25, 2023, in Rome. They invited Pat Jones, CEO and Executive Director of IBTTA, and Bill Halkias, First Vice President of IBTTA and Immediate Past President of the International Road Federation (IRF), to speak about how tolling is a leading tool in the toolbox to finance, build, maintain, and improve safe and reliable road infrastructure for the benefits of users and citizens.

While addressing the General Assembly via video conference, Pat emphasized the cherished relationships between IBTTA and AISCAT and between IBTTA and ASECAP, the European association of toll road operators. He noted that Massimo Schintu, the AISCAT Executive Director, is a Board member of IBTTA, and Emanuela Stocchi, the AISCAT Director of International Affairs, was the 2017 IBTTA President and a lifetime Honorary Member.

“AISCAT and IBTTA are united by strong bonds of collaboration and friendship to promote and advance toll financed transportation,” Pat said. “This cooperation also exists in the framework of ASECAP. Through ASECAP we have signed an MoU and joint tolling declaration recognizing tolling as one of the most effective tools to finance, build, operate and maintain safe, green, smart, reliable highway infrastructure for the benefit of road users and citizens.”

Pat underscored several key principles from the ASECAP-IBTTA joint declaration on tolling. “Tolling provides transparency and fairness for road users. Payment by road users is the fairest and best solution for funding road infrastructure. Users of toll facilities pay only for the use of a given road and according to the real distance driven.” He went on to say, “tolling provides a reliable alternative to the lack of public funds for roads. All over the world, the scarcity of public funds makes it extremely difficult for governments to make the necessary investments in road infrastructure. Tolling represents an efficient solution to the lack of public funds.”

He also emphasized that IBTTA toll road operator members are putting a greater focus on addressing climate change, environmental sustainability, and resiliency of their assets and systems. “We support AISCAT in its mission to defend the value of toll-financed transportation and provide safe and sustainable mobility to all users and citizens.”

Bill traveled from Athens to Rome to speak in person on behalf of IRF, accentuating the importance of the toll concession model by sharing his 40 years of “Greek Experience” in the road transport sector. The Greek State benefited greatly from the concession model—which was used to develop, operate, and maintain the country’s HELLASTRON network of toll roads, despite the economic crisis from 2010 to 2014. 

“The success of the Greek Program is not unique in Europe. Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and many other EU countries are using concessions and tolling to develop the road infrastructure that European citizens need and deserve,” Bill stated. “As Eurostat is not counting the project’s loans in the Government’s debt, the concession model is providing much needed relief to European Governments from borrowing through the financial markets or for guaranteeing the repayment, and thus NOT increasing the county’s public debt.”   

Bill also provided insights on how the ‘user pays principle,’ which road concessions rely upon, is widely accepted as a transparent and fair method of infrastructure financing. “Toll Road Concessionaires do not just offer a journey to their users. As all these people are paying tolls, they demand a safe journey. It is not a secret that Toll Motorways are the safest mode of road transport, as it becomes evident from the road use safety figures and statistics,” he said.

He closed his remarks by saying that he is sure AISCAT and IRF will continue their path together, “connecting places, bringing people together, and promoting the brightest of the ideas for the future of road transportation.”