The director of the Servei Català de Trànsit (SCT), Ramon Lamiel, confirmed that the measure to eliminate the toll on the Vallvidrera Tunnels “was considered on the first day” of the Rodalies crisis, but was ultimately discarded based on mobility and road safety criteria. He made these statements on the program Cafè d’idees on Ràdio 4.
“"The toll acts as a regulator in these cases. You sequence the entry of traffic and it is digestible, but if you plug all that traffic into the city you can have significant problems and severe queues."
Lamiel argued that there is sufficient alternative transport in the corridor, highlighting the role of the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat (FGC), which “provide a very correct service” and have significant capacity to absorb affected Rodalies users.
Furthermore, the SCT warns that lifting the toll could lead to negative consequences at the entry point to Barcelona. “This route enters an urban area, which is the Via Augusta, which congests very easily if you inject all that traffic without a toll,” Lamiel warned.
Despite the position of Trànsit, the final decision does not depend exclusively on them. Various political and economic actors in the Vallès region, such as the Mayor of Sant Cugat, Josep Maria Vallès, continue to demand the tunnels be free while the railway service crisis persists.
