In a statement, they announced Tuesday have "started without waiting for litigation" against the rate freeze toll highways announced by Matignon.
The replica will not take long. In a statement released early Tuesday afternoon, the Association of French motorway companies (ASFA), representing dealers, responded to the freezing of toll rates announced by the government two hours earlier by announcing that "it belongs (these companies) to preserve their rights, to start without waiting for litigation."
Matignon has indeed decided this morning and announced that the motorway tolls, which were increased on 1 February of 0.57% on average at the end of the concession contracts, would be frozen "pending the outcome of [] work "of the parliamentary working group he formed to explore" the two possible scenarios ", ie a renegotiation or termination of the concession contracts. A progress report must be made "by the end of February."
Furious dealers
Information obviously good news for users. "This is a very strong political symbol that calls for a complete overhaul of the system," said to "Les Echos" Pierre Chasseray, General Delegate 40 million motorists, who revealed the information this morning.
The association has long campaigned for a freeze or even lower motorway tolls. He said it would add a criterion on the number of cars using motorways. "Over there, motorists should pay less, it seems logical to me," said Pierre Chasseray.
Dealers themselves are furious and do know. The motorway companies' learn through the press, in defiance of financial reporting rules imposed by the AMF, "the decision by the state, says their statement. A decision "which undermines sustainable signing of the State for contracts of public-private partnership and introduces uncertainty for companies and their shareholders, in their relations with international markets that finance the investments they realize for behalf of the State. "Says the text, which concludes:" Companies say they want priority (...) the negotiation. Insofar as it has unfortunately not led to a time of decision to freeze rates, it is up to them to preserve their rights, to start without waiting for litigation. »
tough negotiations
Since the Competition Authority denounced for years a report "rent" motorway, the government and the motorway companies are engaged in intense negotiations to revise the terms of the contracts. The motorway concession would not be opposed to a freeze on tolls, provided they can moderate the expected increases in the contract and that this announcement fits into the context of an overall agreement on relations between the State and motorway companies. Reportedly, until it seemed that we do is not very far from such an agreement, even if the parliamentary socialists are lobbying the government to terminate the contracts altogether