Minister of Transport and Public Works Louis de Grange denied that the agreement to reduce TAG tolls on Autopista Central was a business opportunity for the concession holder or the state. "The main beneficiary is the user," he said.
According to T13, De Grange defended the measure against criticism on T13 Tarde. He said 1.7 million regular customers would benefit and that 40% of highway transactions in the Metropolitan Region take place on Autopista Central.
The agreement, announced on Monday, October 12, by President José Antonio Kast, provides for a 10% reduction in the base toll during off-peak hours and 25% during peak and congestion periods. To qualify for the discount, users must pay their bills within the first 60 days.
The reduction would begin on January 1, 2027. However, the Ministry of Public Works clarified that the agreement still requires an administrative review before it can take effect. It was negotiated with VíasChile, the concession holder for Autopista Central, and does not automatically extend to other urban highways in Santiago.
In return, the concession holder receives 20 additional months of concession. Government spokesperson Claudio Alvarado acknowledged this on Tele13 Radio, where he described the measure as direct relief for families and small business owners who use their vehicles for work.
De Grange explained the reasoning behind the agreement. According to the minister, private operators made an investment decades ago that is financed through tolls, but TAG tolls have grown faster than per capita income, and the gap has begun to widen.
"The concession holder is going to say to me, 'Hey, but this is not what we signed,' and they are absolutely right," he admitted. He added that the company would receive less revenue now but would be able to operate for longer to recover it.
Criticism focuses precisely on that extension. Franco Parisi, secretary-general of the Party of the People and a three-time presidential candidate, called the agreement a "very bad deal for Chile, but a very good deal for the concession holders". He proposed applying Article 19 of the Concessions Law to modify tolls without extending the contract.
Broad Front Deputy Ignacio Achurra also questioned the agreement. In his view, it is unclear whether it seeks to ease families' expenses or secure more years of operation for concession holders.
Responding to the No+TAG movement, De Grange defended the model. He maintained that the concession system has been "extraordinary" for the country and has enabled the construction of infrastructure that the state could not have financed on its own.
The government said it remains in talks with other concession holders to assess similar reductions. For now, the discount of up to 25% depends on the administrative review of the agreement, with no completion date announced.
