New toll rates on A2 take effect only after the winter holiday period is over – from 1st March 2016

Autostrada Wielkopolska S.A. resolved that the scheduled change of tolls on the concession sections of A2 Nowy Tomyśl – Konin (150 km) would become effective as late as 1 March 2016 to avoid its impact on families using A2 during school winter holidays. New tolls will become effective with respect to Category 1 vehicles (motorcycles, cars) with the rate increasing by PLN 0.02 per kilometer. This will be accompanied by a change of tariff for Category 5 (oversize) vehicles that will pay PLN 0.20 more per kilometer. The trip cost on the 106 km section of A2 Świecko – Nowy Tomyśl will remain unchanged.

Autostrada Wielkopolska S.A. resolved that the scheduled change of tolls on the concession sections of A2 Nowy Tomyśl – Konin (150 km) would become effective as late as 1 March 2016 to avoid its impact on families using A2 during school winter holidays. New tolls will become effective with respect to Category 1 vehicles (motorcycles, cars) with the rate increasing by PLN 0.02 per kilometer. This will be accompanied by a change of tariff for Category 5 (oversize) vehicles that will pay PLN 0.20 more per kilometer.

The trip cost on the 106 km section of A2 Świecko – Nowy Tomyśl will remain unchanged.

The adjustment of tolls for the 150 km section of A2 was originally scheduled for early January 2016 but it was postponed until the winter holiday period is over.

The toll rates applicable as of 1 March 2016 for either of the three 50 km subsections of the motorway between Nowy Tomyśl and Konin will be as follows:

• Cat. 1 (motorcycles and cars): PLN 18.00 incl. VAT (PLN 0.36 / km)
• Cat. 5 (oversize vehicles): PLN 180.00 incl. VAT (PLN 3.60 / km)

The toll rates for categories II – IV will remain unchanged.

– We decided to postpone the toll increase until the winter holiday period after considering public interest. We know that during holidays thousands of Polish families travel on A2 motorway and we wanted them to be able to take their holiday trips safely while enjoying a lower, previous year toll rate. Faced with the need to raise the tolls due to the actual costs of maintenance of the motorway, investments and debt service, we sought a solution that would have least impact on the users, says Zofia Kwiatkowska, AWSA spokesperson.

The tolls on the A2 section Nowy Tomyśl – Konin are set based on the Concession Agreement, a long term financial plan and the traffic forecast.An important factor that has a bearing on the amount of tolls is that unlike on the public motorways, tolls on the concession sections are not exempt from the 23% VAT and cannot be subsidized in any way with public money. Each year Autostrada Wielkopolska S.A. and Autostrada Wielkopolska II S.A. provide more than PLN 100 million to the State budget.

According to the Concession Agreement, toll revenues are appropriated, in the first place to:

• routine maintenance of the motorway including operation,
• heavy maintenance (pavement structural overlays, rehabilitation and upgrading),
• repayment of bank loans incurred to build the motorway (EIB loan and commercial loans)
• new investments on A2 between Nowy Tomyśl and Konin include, inter alia, the rehabilitation of more than 1 km of pavement in S11 mainline (ca. PLN 6 M), replacement of the radio system (ca. PLN 10 M), preparatory works for expansion of the toll free Poznań Bypass (by the end of 2015 the cost reached ca. PLN 20 M) – presently the preparatory works are carried out as required by law with a view to widen the 13 km of the bypass between Komorniki and Krzesiny interchanges to include the third lane. The entire 25-km Poznań Bypass between Poznań East and Poznań West interchanges is toll free.