Tolls refunded up to 100% for blockages and delays, but concessionaires will be able to recover part of the costs by increasing tariffs until at least 2030. Here are the rules, exclusions and ways to apply
Traffic blocks or delays due to construction on the motorway? Refunds for motorists will start from June 1st. The measure (resolution 211/2025 of the Transport Regulation Authority) introduces a revolutionary principle for the first time: the toll will no longer be due in full if the service offered does not guarantee minimum standards of traffic flow. But if on the one hand the new mechanism finally introduces a form of economic protection for users, on the other hand the fear remains that the final cost could still fall, at least in part, on the motorists themselves.
When is the motorway toll refund due?
They are distinguished two types of disruption: traffic blocks and delays caused by construction sites. For traffic blocks the mechanism is simple and progressive. The reimbursement will be equal to 50% of the toll for blocks between 60 and 119 minutes; 75% for inconveniences between 120 and 179 minutes; 100% of the toll if traffic remains at a standstill for more than 180 minutes. For construction site disruptions, the reimbursement will instead depend on the length of the route and the accumulated delay. For routes shorter than 30 kilometres, the reimbursement will be triggered regardless of the time lost. For routes between 30 and 50 kilometres, at least 10 minutes of delay will be needed, while beyond 50 kilometers the minimum threshold will rise to 15 minutes. The reimbursement will not be fixed, but will follow coefficients established by the Transport Regulatory Authority, which will take into account both the impact of the works on the route and the deviation from normal travel times.
Excluded cases: when the refund will not be recognized
However, there are several exceptions. The reimbursement will not be due in cases of emergency construction sites linked to accidents, extraordinary meteorological events, hydrogeological disruptions or rescue activities. In the first phase of application, mobile construction sites will also be excluded. It will not be possible to obtain the compensation even when a general reduction in the toll is already foreseen on the section concerned. Furthermore, the refund will only be credited when the motorist reaches at least one euro in total. Finally, there are different times depending on the highways. From 1 June, refunds will be operational for routes managed by a single concessionaire, while from 1 December 2026 the system will also be extended to routes involving multiple motorway companies.
How to apply and what are the deadlines
Motorists will have to apply directly to the motorway concessionaire. Companies will be obliged to make various channels available for sending applications: at least a dedicated section on the website, a telephone number and, in some cases, even physical assistance points. Within 20 days of the request the concessionaire must communicate acceptance of the application with the recognized amount or rejection but giving the reason. There is also a single national app to manage all refund requests, regardless of the manager involved. According to Codacons, however, the application is not yet ready. The risk is therefore that in the initial phase motorists will have to navigate between different procedures from dealer to dealer.
Who will really pay the refunds: the issue of tariffs
The most controversial issue concerns the financing of reimbursements to motorists. On paper the system introduces protection for those who suffer inconveniences on the motorway, but in practice part of the costs could be passed on to users again through tolls. The resolution of the Transport Regulatory Authority provides for a transitional period during which motorway concessionaires will be able to recover the sums returned to motorists. In other words, if a company provides reimbursements for delays caused by construction sites, it will be able to fully offset that expense in the calculation of future tariffs until at least 2027. For delays caused by construction sites, the recovery will be total until 2027, then it will drop to 75% in 2028, 50% in 2029 and 25% in 2030. Only from 2031 will the reimbursements remain entirely the responsibility of the motorway companies. The case of traffic blockages due to exceptional events is different: here the concessionaires will be able to recover the costs only by demonstrating causes of force majeure and that they have managed the emergency correctly. According to consumer associations, the risk is that motorists themselves will ultimately indirectly finance the refunds received.
