Road blockades in Basque country after New Year

The northern province of Guipúzcoa in the Spanish Basque Country is introducing a road toll on the N1 between Irun and Etzegarate, at the border with the province of Navarre, on 1 January. With this charge, the province aims not only to raise money for road maintenance, but also to divert traffic to the AP1 and AP8 toll motorways to relieve the N1. That road, which was free until then, is used daily by 12,000 trucks, 60% of which are foreign. The rate averages 0.44 euros per kilometre, compared with 0.18 euros on Spanish toll motorways.