How will the toll system work on the new A69 motorway in south western France?
The new A69 motorway in south-west France will be a free-flow toll road – but what does that mean, how do you pay, and what are the penalties if you don’t?
The controversial A69 motorway connecting Toulouse and Castres in south-west France is expected to open to traffic from mid-October.
The construction of the 62km stretch of road had become a flashpoint for environmental protests, joined at one stage by the Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg.
READ ALSO: Appeals court green lights A69 road project in south-west France
It will be the first ‘free-flow’ toll-paying motorway in the Occitanie region. But what does that mean?
Free-flow method
The most obvious difference to many other motorways in France, there will be no toll points on the A69, meaning no queues – and no delays – to join or get off the motorway.
Instead, cameras placed on toll gantries at key points on the route will record vehicle licence plate numbers as they pass, which will in turn allow operator Atosca to calculate how much is owed in tolls. It’s a use-now, pay-later system.
Drivers will be notified that they’re about to pass a toll gantry by a sequence of six signs, Atosca told journalists at an event promoting the free-flow system.
How to pay
Motorists who use free-flow motorways are offered several methods of paying their tolls after they have completed their journeys. But they should be aware that, on the A69, bills will not be issued automatically.
Users will be expected to make payment before any letter arrives.
Electronic tags – Regular motorway users can use an electronic toll tag, often colloquially known as ‘bippers’, which tracks use and – for an annual or monthly fee – deals with payments. They work on all French motorway networks and are easy to order and use.
Online account – Users of the A69 specifically can set up an online account on the Atosca website, and deal with payments by registering their vehicle’s licence number. It will be possible to automate any payments. The site is already open for pre-registration.
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After travel – anyone without a bipper or dedicated online account can still log on to the Atosca website and pay tolls up to 72 hours after their journey.
In-person – It will be possible to pay in cash or using a debit or credit card – again, within 72 hours of your journey – at any one of 8,000 authorised Nirio points. You will usually find these at a tobacconist.
Don’t wait for a bill to come. By the time one is sent out, payment will already be overdue.
Late payment penalties
Anyone who misses the 72-hour deadline will receive a payment notice with a €10 penalty for late payment included.
After 10 days, the penalty will increase to €90. After two months, the overdue payment will be officially recognised as a (low-level) criminal offence, will be passed over to the courts and will carry a €375 fine.
Atosca, however, has said that it expects early users will take some time getting used to the free-flow payment system, so it has pledged “some leniency” in the early days.
How much will it cost to drive the A69?
Pay scales were not due to be published until early October.
The last known projected toll for a journey along the motorway’s entire length was published in 2021 and set at €6.77, suggesting that the price could be as much as €7.50 for a one-way trip along the entire route.
However, a number of local authorities in the area have said they would subsidise the cost for users, bringing the price down an unknown amount, while Atosca has said it will offer discounts for regular users.
