12.01.2015 at 6.00 am – change of toll rates on A2 Motorway section Nowy Tomyśl – Konin (150 km)

12 January 2015 at 6:00 hours the toll rates will change in the tolled sections of the A2 Nowy Tomyśl – Konin concession motorway. For class 1 vehicles, which are the most numerous (motorcycles, passenger cars and two-axle commercial vehicles), the toll will increase by PLN 0,02 per km (PLN 1 per a 50 km section). A 7% increase of toll rates of vehicles of class 2, 3 and 4 toll will be implemented, the first since 2005. The cost of trip in the A2 Motorway Świecko – Nowy Tomyśl (106 km) section remains unchanged.

Toll rates in the Nowy Tomyśl – Konin section of A2 Motorway are defined based on the Concession Agreement entered into with the government, the financial plan and the traffic forecast. New toll rates in each of the three 50-kilometers motorway section between Nowy Tomyśl and Konin will amount to:

• Cat. 1 (two-axle vehicles) – PLN 17 gross (PLN 0.34 per 1 km).
• Cat. 2 (two-axle vehicles) – PLN 29 gross (PLN 0.58 per 1 km).
• Cat. 3 (three-axle vehicles) – PLN 44 gross (PLN 0.88 per 1 km)
• Cat. 4 (vehicles with more than three-axle vehicles) – PLN 68 gross (PLN 1.36 per 1 km)
• Cat. 5 (oversize vehicles) – PLN 170 gross (PLN 3.40 per 1 km)

„Toll rates in the Nowy Tomyśl – Konin concession section of A2 result from the financial plan adopted jointly with the government party and commercial banks for this project until the end of the concession term, i.e. until 2037.The changes of toll rates are due, without limitation, to necessary reimbursement of the debt contracted for the motorway construction, to the routine maintenance of the section and the to the implementation of new investments. 100% of all investments in the section managed by AWSA are covered from toll revenues. This is the first increase of toll rates for heavy vehicles in 9 years, while the inflation alone in the period amounted to 26% – says Zofia Kwiatkowska, AWSA Spokesperson.

Another important factor effecting toll rates is that unlike in public motorways, tolls in A2 Nowy Tomyśl – Konin section are not exempt from 23% VAT and may not be subsidised from the State budget in any way.

“Concessionaires’ agreements do not allow for waiving the payment of 23% VAT, as it is the case for public motorways. Since July 2011 toll rates binding in the motorways managed by the state have been net of tax, and drivers have been exempted from paying VAT. Each year we pay over PLN 100 million to the state budget on account of 23% VAT – explains Zofia Kwiatkowska, AWSA spokesperson.

The revenues from tolls, in compliance with the Concession Agreement, are earmarked first of all for:

1. Routine maintenance of the motorway, including the motorway operation,
2. the so-called heavy maintenance (pavement strengthening, rehabilitation and upgrading),
3. reimbursement of bank credits contracted for the motorway construction (credits granted by EIB and commercial banks)
4. new investments in A2 Nowy Tomyśl – Konin:

• planned extension of the free of charge Poznań Bypass (on 13 out of 25 km) – currently, in connection with obtaining environmental decisions, preparation works are underway to build a third traffic lane in 13 km section of the bypass from Komorniki interchange to Krzesiny interchange. The trip through the 25 km Poznań Bypass is free of charge,
• extension of the most loaded Lądek Toll Plaza (Lądek TP) in the Września – Konin section. In July 2014 we opened 14 traffic lanes (compared to 10 before), 6 lanes in the Poznań direction and 8 lanes in Warsaw direction. On the occasion of the modification, the entire Lądek TP was thoroughly upgraded, the remaining 10 lanes were adapted to the standard of TP operating in the Nowy Tomyśl – Świecko section opened to operation at the end of 2011.

Supplementary information:

1. entire traffic and revenues risk is on the Company’s side
2. no State subsidy – contrary to public motorways, concession motorways are not subsidised from taxes. 100% of operational costs in concession sections are covered by the Concessionaire.
3. gross toll rates including 23% VAT – unlike in the concession motorways, toll rates in public sections have been net of tax since July 2011. Acting in virtue of the provisions of the agreement entered into on an arm’s length basis, AWSA pays PLN 100 million of 23% VAT to the State budget every year.
4. the highest technical standards caring for driver’s safety – in the concession agreement AWSA committed to design, build and operate the motorway, maintain the highest technical standard and care for driver’s safety The quality of the offered service has continued at a highest level outstanding on the national and European scale. We have been active members of ASECAP (European Association for Toll Motorways Concessionaires) and the A2 concession motorway managed by us is considered to be an exemplary implementation of the motorway project.