Since the beginning of the year, several heavy vehicles have continued to pay tolls on motorways where collection should have been suspended. The situation led to the approval of a diploma that clarifies the application of the State Budget for 2026 and now allows the refund of amounts unduly paid.
At issue are specific sections of the A41, A19 and A8 motorways, covered by a rule whose implementation did not follow the entry into force of the budget law. The legislative clarification resolved a void that generated financial impacts for transport companies.
According to Jornal Económico, Parliament approved a PS bill aimed at clarifying the suspension of tolls for heavy vehicles, with effect from January 1st. The Liberal Initiative was the only party that abstained from the vote.
The diploma clarifies that the budgetary rule came into force without the suspension of collection having been applied, a situation that the text classifies as a failure to implement the law.
What does the new wording of the law say
The newspaper writes that the diploma clarifies “unequivocally” that the suspension of toll collection covers heavy vehicles included in classes 3 and 4 of the national toll system. This precision eliminates interpretative doubts and establishes the legal basis for amounts charged since the beginning of the year to be claimed from the competent authorities.
The exemption applies to the A41, the A19 in the section between São Jorge and Leiria Sul, at the junction with the A8, and also the A8 between Leiria Sul and Pousos. The choice of these routes is associated with the weight of the burden for companies that regularly operate on these routes, especially in the Leiria region.
How to request a refund
The same source states that truck drivers can request a refund for tolls paid since January 1st, and must do so with the respective toll service provider. The process depends on the operators’ administrative mechanisms, but is based on confirmation of the vehicle class and the period in which the charges occurred.
The Leiria PS emphasizes that this exemption aimed to “reduce contextual costs for companies, support economic activity and promote a more rational use of the road network”. The party also highlights that the Leiria district is one of the territories “heavily penalized by toll charges”, justifying the need for the measure.
According to , the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing recognized that “it is not operationally possible to distinguish between light and heavy class 2 vehicles”, due to the limitations of toll systems.
For this reason, the ministry explained that it is “impractical to apply the suspension of toll payment ‘tout court’ to all heavy vehicles” without a new legal framework, and a legislative instrument is being prepared to implement article 204 of the State Budget for 2026.
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