The association's president urges public representatives to meet with the sector to explain its position on the application of these new charges, from which it should be exempt.
The introduction of fees or levies for road use charging, announced by the Government through the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT), has prompted a reaction from the Red de Empresas de Auxilio en Carretera (REAC), as a body representing the sector.
Manuel Fernández Luque, president of REAC, has sent a letter to the Directorate-General for Land Transport and to the DGT itself, headed by Jaime Moreno García-Cano and Pere Navarro, respectively.
In the letter, the president of REAC explains that companies providing assistance on public roads should be exempt from paying tolls on high-capacity roads. "We do not fit the profile of the goods haulier user, given that our work consists of assisting them only in the event of an accident or breakdown".
Debate on the Eurovignette Directive
Fernández Luque also refers in his request to the legislative debate on the new Eurovignette Directive, in which the Council of the European Union (EU) has stated that it is in favour of letting Member States choose how to apply it. He has likewise urged public representatives to meet with sector representatives so that they can explain their position on the application of these new charges, from which they are calling to be exempt.
In this respect, roadside assistance would be more an emergency service than a discretionary one, given that its use of the road is unquestionably due to maintaining road safety and the general interest.
Consequences of the charge for the sector
The association's president referred to how this toll would affect the users and policyholders assisted every day on Spanish motorways, since the price of roadside assistance insurance and of the service could increase.
The aim is also to convey to the Government a message of commitment to Road Safety. "This last year has highlighted that our activity is essential, guaranteeing the right to mobility of millions of citizens every day, ensuring that roads are kept clear", he said.
The recovery of mobility, the economy and sectors such as tourism is a concern for roadside assistance, as is environmental sustainability. "The level of emissions from our fleet is minimal, since it does not run empty or cover long distances; the negative externalities associated with road transport as a whole do not apply to us", the president argues.
A sector hit hard by COVID-19
The sector is asking the Government of Spain "not to tax assistance on public roads by increasing the tax burden on its operators". The drastic reduction in mobility during the strict lockdown and the pandemic has had dramatic consequences on these companies' financial results, Fernández Luque explained.