Automatic road tolls

The welshman · #1 (**permalink**) 20th June 2012, 03:34 PM

Have recently used a toll road which had automatic registration recognition. I was driving a vehicle with a UK plate which is registered in UK. How do I pay the toll fee? If I don't pay the toll in time, what would happen? Would the Portuguese authorities send a bill to my UK address? I am worried that there would be a fine for not paying on time. Can anyone advise me?

canoeman · #2 (**permalink**) 20th June 2012, 04:47 PM

You can't, a foreign registered vehicle can only pre pay, with around 6 different options.
http://www.visitportugal.com/NR/exer...,frameless.htm

The current situation seems to be Portugal is not yet issuing fines to foreign registered vehicles, but if your visiting again go for one of the options, if you own property here and have a Portuguese Bank A/c theres nothing stopping you getting a ViaVerde device which can be used on all tolls roads

siobhanwf · #3 (**permalink**) 25th June 2012, 11:18 AM

So far the Portuguese authorities do not seem to be chasing foreign drives for non payment of tolls.
But a telling repost in an UK newspaper might change all that

The DVLA is making thousands of pounds a month helping European bureaucrats hunt down British drivers for parking and speeding fines incurred on the Continent.
Every month around 2,500 British motorists are contacted with fines issued by the authorities in European countries.
At the same time millions of pounds in speeding fines racked up by foreign drivers in the UK are being written off.
Many British drivers targeted are likely to be families returning from holiday and unaware they have been accused of breaking rules.
They are tracked down by a private company based in Britain which pays the DVLA for driver information.
For each inquiry, the DVLA receives £2.50, meaning it makes more than £75,000 a year.
Critics said the system was unfair as drivers in foreign-registered cars seemed to avoid punishment in this country, while British drivers are tracked down once they get home.
A spokesman for the AA said: ‘There is nothing worse than having a penalty notice follow you home from abroad.

Read more: How DVLA makes thousands every month by helping to catch UK drivers fined on holiday | Mail Online

The welshman · #4 (**permalink**) 30th June 2012, 01:17 PM

Hi,
Thanks for the info both

landlord · #5 (**permalink**) 10th July 2012, 09:11 PM

Last time we were over, we inadvertently went through the toll reader and realised we had missed the pay as you go. (We had a hire car.)

We were a bit worried about it, and thought we would be fined when we got home, or be imprisoned and have our house sold to pay the fine. LOL.

We called our friends in Castello, who went to the post office with the hire car reg number, and they paid it for us....... 3 Euro !!!

Love it.

To be honest, it seems like a lot of bother to me. If you want to get somewhere quick, use the toll roads and pay the fee.
What I see it does, is makes the roads all that much clearer. And lets face it, J8 to 10 on the M6 in blighty, is a different planet to anywhere in Portugal.

Live with it folks!

Al

canoeman · #6 (**permalink**) 11th July 2012, 07:05 AM

Non Residents driving through Portugal in foreign registered cars should now be aware that the previous policy of not enforcing payment of electronic tolls appears to have stopped.

This coincides with the massive return of the expats Portuguese working in Europe, and I have seen lines of cars pulled over on 3 Scut roads and junctions

There are numerous new Pay lay-byes covering all the major SCUT roads at borders plus a new web site http://www.estradas.pt/web/portal-de-portagens/home that clearly shows payment options.

I'd agree Al but the one group that still has problems paying SCUT tolls is the holiday car hirer whether they want to or not, currently unless hire company has fitted a transponder or has some arrangement with hirer to pay last toll then they can't.

landlord · #7 (**permalink**) 11th July 2012, 11:35 PM

Canoeman, you are correct.
As in my last post, we were in a hire car which was not fitted with a reader card. Luckily we knew that but were never informed by the hire company at time of hire.
We knew we had not paid, and so got our friends to do it for us [this happened on the way to the airport, so we couldnt address it ourselves at the time]

Anyway, until the hire companies fit a card, others are definitely going to get caught out.

So car hirers beware!!

Tonyjo · #8 (**permalink**) 15th July 2012, 09:09 AM

One way of staying legal is to buy a visitor transponder from a Post Office. This lasts for three months and you prepay at the post office and top up depending on use.

More of a problem for me is that having decided to settle in Portugal I want now to buy a residents transponder. The requirements apparently are that you have to have a fiscal number and a Portuguese Bank account, both of which I now have. Until we buy a house here however I am continuing to use my UK registered car and at our local Post Office at Grandola we have been advised we cannot have a transponder for a foreign registered car. I am certain this is incorrect and have been so advised by Via Verde the company that issues the transponders. Anyone else had this problemmand how have you resolved it?

siobhanwf · #9 (**permalink**) 15th July 2012, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tonyjo

One way of staying legal is to buy a visitor transponder from a Post Office. This lasts for three months and you prepay at the post office and top up depending on use.

More of a problem for me is that having decided to settle in Portugal I want now to buy a residents transponder. The requirements apparently are that you have to have a fiscal number and a Portuguese Bank account, both of which I now have. Until we buy a house here however I am continuing to use my UK registered car and at our local Post Office at Grandola we have been advised we cannot have a transponder for a foreign registered car. I am certain this is incorrect and have been so advised by Via Verde the company that issues the transponders. Anyone else had this problemmand how have you resolved it?

Go to one of the VIA VERDE offices and you will get one there.
I have had one for a UK registered car which I brought over last year and which I have since matriculated.
If you look at this link you can find where you nearest one is.
Via Verde

Just explain that you have just moved and need one while you are going through the process of matriculation.

canoeman · #10 (**permalink**) 15th July 2012, 09:20 AM

You can have a full ViaVerde transponder for a UK registered card, as you say you need Fiscal number, Portuguese bank account and don't really think not having a Portuguese address a problem, also cars paperwork log book and the VIN number, staff training at post offices not great, try another office or a ViaVerde shop if you have one local.