# Tolls on SCUT Motorways - READ THIS!



## Bubbles67

This is not a plug for our website, it is important and up-to-date information about vehicle drivers in Portugal.

All drivers need to make sure they are fully informed about the new system of tolls on SCUT motorways, with no toll booths, and how it will affect them.

With reference to the A22 in The Algarve, people using it have a few months to get themselves sorted, we did not have this time in the north and central regions as tolls are here now. There is a shortage of the windscreen units and there will be a waiting time to get one.

Our aim at Hey Portugal is to give our readers the latest information about things that affect them in Portugal..SCUT motorways is a big thing! that will affect ALL people in Portugal who drive a car..whether we like it or not, it is not going to go away. With the help of Expats Forum we hope to get this message to an many Expats as possible, to avoid problems when using the SCUT motorways.

The latest information is now on our website, and will be updated as our research and experiences continue. But our recommendation is if you use the motorways, EVER, then get one of the electronic devices. You will save money and stress.
IMPORTANT WARNING: If you have a foreign registered vehicle and you do not have a 'device' DO NOT USE THE ELECTRONIC ONLY MOTORWAYS.


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## mayotom

thanks bubbles


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## Bubbles67

mayotom said:


> thanks bubbles


Glad to be of Service.

I have made a slight update today regarding Foreigh Registered Vehicles.

I anyone reading this is likely to drive their non PT car into Portugal, PLEASE, PLEASE read the article..not doing so could be expensive for you...:juggle:


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## riopreto

*What now...*

Hi, 

Thanks for this. Unfortunately I found out about the SCUT system while driving around Porto today. When I got back home, I wanted to read up on the electronic toll signs that I passed. Now, problem is, I had had no clue until now. I sure got photographed and they have my licence plate numbers in the database. What should I do now? Is there a way to pay whatever charges I incurred back? (I managed to find out that foreigners are not eligible for pós-pagamento, so even if I went to a CTT, they'll have no way to charge me backwards.) I have a foreign (EU) licence plate -- will they track me down and send me a ticket back home? Or should I just avoid the SCUT roads in the future? 

Thanks,

riopreto


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## riopreto

*A few other things*

Hi again Bubbles67, 

:focus: A few other things. I don't know whether all SCUT toll points in the Porto area are operational (maybe I'm fine), but I must say that the realization of having strayed into a high-end sci-fi toll-charge system without the required hardware in my car does feel spooky.

If you know how to get out of this saga, please share whatever knowledge you have.


Thanks,

riopreto


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## Bubbles67

riopreto said:


> Hi again Bubbles67,
> 
> :focus: A few other things. I don't know whether all SCUT toll points in the Porto area are operational (maybe I'm fine), but I must say that the realization of having strayed into a high-end sci-fi toll-charge system without the required hardware in my car does feel spooky.
> 
> If you know how to get out of this saga, please share whatever knowledge you have.
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> riopreto


Hi Riopreto,

It tells you in my article how to get a 'Device', which you can still have on a foreign registered car, but I think if you have already incurred charges you will have to wait for the bill to go to the address the car is registered at.

People with foreign registered cars need to be careful, as it is possible they will use this system to see how long the car has been in Portugal.


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## riopreto

*Will they send a bill?*

Hi again Bubbles67,

Thanks for your reply!

Are you sure they will look me up and send a bill? I've been reading articles about Spanish drivers who decided to go ahead and drive around down here without the device and the implication there was that all they were risking was getting caught _while_ on the motorway. If you don't get stopped, you just forget about it. Maybe I'm being naive. 

Some articles said that Spanish officials asked for a moratorium because at this moment it is hard to get hold of that mysterious device in the first place. How can you pay, if they don't make available any way of payment? 

Also, there is _no_ information about how to pay (or how to avoid getting in trouble) before you enter the SCUT sections of the motorway. Sorry, but a sign saying "electronic toll only" does not strike me as particularly helpful information or a fair warning. All this feels pretty Kafkian, to be honest. You hit the road just like on any other day and then you get informed that you just broke the law, sorry. The Portuguese authorities didn't bother to make this system work properly; its clarity is questionable, to put it mildly. Now, it's your problem if you didn't know about it. Are they serious??









Bubbles67 said:


> Hi Riopreto,
> 
> It tells you in my article how to get a 'Device', which you can still have on a foreign registered car, but I think if you have already incurred charges you will have to wait for the bill to go to the address the car is registered at.
> 
> People with foreign registered cars need to be careful, as it is possible they will use this system to see how long the car has been in Portugal.


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## Bubbles67

Welcome to Portugal! This is exactly why we started off Hey Portugal....


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## omostra06

some info on these sites that may help answer some questions.

scut

http://portugalresident.com/story.asp?XID=38001

http://www.theportugalnews.com/


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## riopreto

*Congrats Portugal*

Thank you, Omostra,

I took a look at the articles. They show that the new system in place is a great gift from the Govt. 

I have no problem with paying for motorways, as long as that does not require a scavenger hunt, searching for chip cards that are apparently available literally in only two places somewhere in the north of the country.

Now that I let myself be photographed, I'll just wait and see what happens. Hopefully, they'll give up on trying to locate where I'm based. If they are persistent, and send me a bill, then oh well... But I'm hoping that won't happen, because from what I can read online, police patrols will be dispatched to hunt for drivers without the 'dispositivo' and upon catching them, they'll scan their histories to see if their victim has a record of unpaid hits. 

Which implies they don't cast their nets abroad, but only keep tabs on you hoping they'll catch you sooner or later if you're a "returning customer". They won't see me again. I'll sooner drive around meadows than donate to this absurd system.


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## silvers

What happens if you get stopped for a documents check? The GNR love doing this on a regular basis.


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## Miguelsantos

Bubbles67 said:


> This is not a plug for our website, it is important and up-to-date information about vehicle drivers in Portugal.
> 
> All drivers need to make sure they are fully informed about the new system of tolls on SCUT motorways, with no toll booths, and how it will affect them.
> 
> With reference to the A22 in The Algarve, people using it have a few months to get themselves sorted, we did not have this time in the north and central regions as tolls are here now. There is a shortage of the windscreen units and there will be a waiting time to get one.
> 
> Our aim at Hey Portugal is to give our readers the latest information about things that affect them in Portugal..SCUT motorways is a big thing! that will affect ALL people in Portugal who drive a car..whether we like it or not, it is not going to go away. With the help of Expats Forum we hope to get this message to an many Expats as possible, to avoid problems when using the SCUT motorways.
> 
> The latest information is now on our website, and will be updated as our research and experiences continue. But our recommendation is if you use the motorways, EVER, then get one of the electronic devices. You will save money and stress.
> IMPORTANT WARNING: If you have a foreign registered vehicle and you do not have a 'device' DO NOT USE THE ELECTRONIC ONLY MOTORWAYS.


business, business, business. I tought that wasn´t allowed


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## omostra06

A bit more info here..
Portal Trfego


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## PETERFC

*Reply*



omostra06 said:


> A bit more info here..
> Portal Trfego


Hi Derek 

Any information on the Porto airport to Coimbra motorway, with regards to these tolls. 

Peter

Spell checker not required :clap2:


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## Benny Dorm

If you do not have the device fitted in your car and you travel on one of the SCUT motorways, you can pay within five days in the CTT or a PayShop by giving your car registration number. There is a small administration charge but if you only occasionally use Scut's it's cheaper than paying €27 for the device.


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## omostra06

PETERFC said:


> Hi Derek
> 
> Any information on the Porto airport to Coimbra motorway, with regards to these tolls.
> 
> Peter
> 
> Spell checker not required :clap2:


Hi Peter, Iam not sure of much personaly, not my region, but there seems to be a lot of info on the web about the tolls if you search some of the pt sites then translate.


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## Bubbles67

Benny Dorm said:


> If you do not have the device fitted in your car and you travel on one of the SCUT motorways, you can pay within five days in the CTT or a PayShop by giving your car registration number. There is a small administration charge but if you only occasionally use Scut's it's cheaper than paying €27 for the device.


Do you know the admin fee then?

Only one person I know has tried to pay at CTT this week and they had no idea what to do...so how are you supposed to pay within 5 days...if you don't pay and then incur the fine, it will not take many trips to wish you had got the device....make your own decision.


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## Benny Dorm

Some people do seem to enjoy making a mountain out of a molehill! The admin charge on my Scut journeys which incurred a fee of €6.05 was €0.60. ALL CTT OFFICES ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY TO PERFORM THIS TASK, anyone claiming that it cannot be completed at a CTT office is talking rubbish and I don't believe for one minute that they are not trying to promote their website!


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## Bubbles67

Benny Dorm said:


> Some people do seem to enjoy making a mountain out of a molehill! The admin charge on my Scut journeys which incurred a fee of €6.05 was €0.60. ALL CTT OFFICES ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY TO PERFORM THIS TASK, anyone claiming that it cannot be completed at a CTT office is talking rubbish and I don't believe for one minute that they are not trying to promote their website!


Thank you for the information about the admin fee, I will pass that on.:clap2:

I can assure you Benny that the post office in Alvaiazere on Monday did NOT know how to deal with the SCUT motorway charges, which CTT post office did you use? Was it a main office or in a small town like a sub-office? There might be a difference.


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## naofalobem

Many thanks Bubbles. Thanks to your article, we went to our local post office in the Algarve after a week-end around Porto, to pay. Obviously, they had no idea of what we were talking about, but they eventually found our licence number that had indeed been spotted by the system on their computer and we could pay the normal rate.


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## Guest

If I am driving from Santander to Algarve, is it likely I will be using one of these motorways? If so, as I will be driving a hired vehicle, do I need to buy anything before I travel? In any event, how much are tolls on motorways? I can't give you the specific journey I'm going to travel - as I haven't got a clue I will be totally reliant on my sat nav! Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Lorraine


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## naofalobem

jjlpower-of-three said:


> If I am driving from Santander to Algarve, is it likely I will be using one of these motorways? If so, as I will be driving a hired vehicle, do I need to buy anything before I travel? In any event, how much are tolls on motorways? I can't give you the specific journey I'm going to travel - as I haven't got a clue I will be totally reliant on my sat nav! Any help would be appreciated.
> Thanks
> Lorraine


You have 5 days to pay. When you notice that you have crossed a sign showing it is an electronic toll zone, you go to any post office (in your case in the Algarve if you trip took less than 5 days from hitting the first electronic toll zone) and give the registration number of the car. You then pay whatever fee there is to pay. If you don't, you will probably get a registered letter 6 months later to your home address with a request for payment and a penalty. It happened to me with a hired car in Sicily and a parking ticket.


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## Guest

Thanks for that. Do you happen to know what the toll charges are on portuguese motorways?


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## omostra06

jjlpower-of-three said:


> Thanks for that. Do you happen to know what the toll charges are on portuguese motorways?


if your gps takes you down into portugal and onto the A23 then its free until you hit the A1 from there until the algarve will cost you about 30 euros total.

you can go to the algarve avoiding the toll motorways, it will take about one or two hours longer. might even be less miles.


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## Guest

That's a tremendous help - thank you. When I do reach the other end I'll need to buy a car - can anybody recommend any English speaking reputable car dealerships around Vilamoura? Is it true if you buy new or new'ish they do all the necessary paperwork and registration details for you?


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## omostra06

There will be loads of english speaking dealers, (not sure about reputable dealers) or try to buy privately localy or through one of the websites selling used cars.

Cars, Used Cars, Cars for sale, Buy Used Cars | OLX.com

or

Standvirtual - O Nº1 em Carros Usados


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## robc

omostra06 said:


> if your gps takes you down into portugal and onto the A23 then its free until you hit the A1 from there until the algarve will cost you about 30 euros total.
> 
> you can go to the algarve avoiding the toll motorways, it will take about one or two hours longer. might even be less miles.


Can I for one moment be a bit thick here,
We are due to come out in November to see how our house build is going and we intend driving down through France (to see some friends), then Spain and then Portugal, down to the Silver Coast area. 
So, given that I am used to shelling out for the Portagem, how do I recognise a SCUT from a Portagem.
Thanks in advance.

Rob


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## silvers

Scut's look like a gantry over the motorway with forward and rear facing cameras attached to the top of them. Portagems are the typical booths.


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## siobhanwf

naofalobem said:


> You have 5 days to pay. When you notice that you have crossed a sign showing it is an electronic toll zone, you go to any post office (in your case in the Algarve if you trip took less than 5 days from hitting the first electronic toll zone) and give the registration number of the car. You then pay whatever fee there is to pay. If you don't, you will probably get a registered letter 6 months later to your home address with a request for payment and a penalty. It happened to me with a hired car in Sicily and a parking ticket.


This system is already working in Ireland. Great if you know about the mechanics in advance.


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## siobhanwf

Bubbles67 said:


> This is not a plug for our website, it is important and up-to-date information about vehicle drivers in Portugal.
> 
> All drivers need to make sure they are fully informed about the new system of tolls on SCUT motorways, with no toll booths, and how it will affect them.
> 
> With reference to the A22 in The Algarve, people using it have a few months to get themselves sorted, we did not have this time in the north and central regions as tolls are here now. There is a shortage of the windscreen units and there will be a waiting time to get one.
> 
> Our aim at Hey Portugal is to give our readers the latest information about things that affect them in Portugal..SCUT motorways is a big thing! that will affect ALL people in Portugal who drive a car..whether we like it or not, it is not going to go away. With the help of Expats Forum we hope to get this message to an many Expats as possible, to avoid problems when using the SCUT motorways.
> 
> The latest information is now on our website, and will be updated as our research and experiences continue. But our recommendation is if you use the motorways, EVER, then get one of the electronic devices. You will save money and stress.
> IMPORTANT WARNING: If you have a foreign registered vehicle and you do not have a 'device' DO NOT USE THE ELECTRONIC ONLY MOTORWAYS.


Thanks for the info.

It took me a while to find it on the hey Portugal site so I am posting this link:

Tolls on SCUT motorways in Portugal?


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## mayotom

siobhanwf said:


> This system is already working in Ireland. Great if you know about the mechanics in advance.


Also used in Dubai, they just have a little sticker on the windscreen, you can pay the bill at the end of the month, but financially better off to have topped up in advance

.


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## Guest

Many thanks for your advice - it is really helpful. I have looked at both and have saved their sites although, unfortunately, the second one is written only in portuguese!


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## siobhanwf

jjlpower-of-three said:


> Many thanks for your advice - it is really helpful. I have looked at both and have saved their sites although, unfortunately, the second one is written only in portuguese!



Use google translate facility to translate.. gives a fair translation


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