Push to raise motorway tolls

MOTORWAY operator Vinci wants to raise tolls to compensate for the higher charges it needs to pay the government.

The operator said it saw no other way to maintain profits after the government raised Vinci’s own tariff by 50%.

The operators have already taken the government to court over the rise, saying it breaches their contracts.

Both the operators and the spending watchdog the cours des comptes have criticized the current privatization contracts which were established in 2006.

The director general of Vinci, Xavier Huillard, said they were drawn up in a financial context that no longer existed and the State was changing its mind about how the system should work.

The cour des comptes also blamed the contracts, while criticising the motorway operators for previous price rises.

Worst weekend

This Saturday is the worst day of the year on the roads as the annual chassé-croisé (the crossover between July holiday makers and August ones) takes place.

Traffic this morning is rated orange for departures (heading to the south and/or the sea from central areas) but largely green for returns, except in the south east.

Saturday is black for departures and red for returns. Be prepared for long jams, especially in the heat.

Sunday is green for departures and in the east for returns, but orange for returns in the west.