With resolution 211/2025, anyone who gets stuck or slowed down on the motorway will be able to receive a toll refund as early as 2026. Here’s how it will work
Anyone who drives knows the problem well and has been waiting for a solution for years. Well, from 2026 the endless queues, the endless works and the slowdowns on the motorway could finally give the right to real compensation. Transport Regulatory Authority (ART) has approved the resolution 211/2025which establishes the right to receive a toll reimbursement whenever the motorway service does not guarantee the promised quality.
“The toll must be fair and proportionate to the service actually used”, declared the president of the Authority, Nicholas Zacchaeusexplaining that the “pay-per-use” principle is no longer a promise, but a rule.
When the new system comes into force
· From 1 June 2026: reimbursements for construction sites or traffic blockages on routes managed by a single concessionaire.
· From 1 December 2026: extension to routes that cross multiple motorway operators.
· The ART (Transport Regulatory Authority) will monitor the operation until 31 December 2027with a review and possible changes scheduled for July of the same year.
How refunds are calculated
Delays due to construction sites
- Under 30 km: automatic reimbursement, without delay threshold
- Between 30 and 50 km: refund if the slowdown exceeds 10 minutes
- Over 50 km: a minimum delay of 15 minutes is required.
Those who use season tickets or commute have the same rights as occasional users, and will be able to withdraw without penalty if construction sites make the daily commute impracticable.
Traffic blocks or traffic jams
If the traffic jam is due to a traffic block not caused by construction sites (e.g. accident, weather, traffic jams), the reimbursement varies based on the duration of the stoppage:
- 60–119 minutes: 50% of the toll
- 120–179 minutes: 75%
- Over 180 minutes: full refund (100%).
A unique app for everyone
To manage the process, a single national app will be launched, available to all dealers: just register your license plate or electronic toll device to have, in some cases, automatic reimbursement without having to fill out forms or send complaints. Those who prefer traditional methods will be able to access via toll-free numbers or web portals made available by the managers.
Who pays the price of compensation
The ART has foreseen a double track to avoid that the costs fall entirely on the users:
- For new concession contractsreimbursements related to construction sites cannot be recovered through tolls.
- For concessions already in placea transitional period is expected (2026–2027 with full recovery), then a progressive reduction: 75% in 2028, 50% in 2029, 25% in 2030.
In the case of blockages due to external and unforeseeable causes, the reimbursement can be recovered through toll only in the presence of ascertained “force majeure”.
However, the ART underlines that construction sites remain necessary for the maintenance and safety of infrastructures – the challenge will be to balance user protection and economic sustainability of the system.
The opinion of consumer associations
For theNational Consumers Union the measure represents an “important step forward”, but it is not enough: according to the president Massimiliano Dona it is necessary to provide not only the reimbursement, but also a additional compensation in cases of serious disserviceto make the penalty truly dissuasive.
On the other hand, Codacons warns: the mechanism – according to the association – could translate into a way to still make motorists pay reimbursements through increases in future tolls.
A revolution for the motorist
Resolution 211/2025 marks an epochal turning point: for the first time in Italy (and probably in Europe), users will be able to get a real refund when the toll network does not offer an adequate service. The principle of “pay only if the trip is really worth it” could finally become reality.
However, it remains to be seen whether, in practice, the system will really work: everything will depend on the punctuality of the app, the transparency of the monitoring, the exceptions foreseen. And above all by how much dealers – and ultimately motorists themselves – will be willing to bear the cost of this new logic.
