Government privatizes management of 3,900 km of national routes

[carride]

At least now people who would rather travel by train might notice new support from people who had been driving their cars on roads for free. Those who soon will need to pay automobile tolls. Potential for trains to compete once customers compare the new financial costs along with the intrinsic value of each trip. This third stage now includes the routes maintained in Buenos Aires province.

This is the third stage of a larger plan launched in 2025 aimed at privatizing the administration of a total of 9,000 kilometers of strategic national routes, “which carry approximately 80 percent of the country’s traffic,” the National Highway Administration said.

Argentine Road Concession Program under Milei's Administration

New Era: Milei launches a 9,000 km Argentine road concession plan, opening investment opportunities and reshaping national infrastructure.

wsclegal.com

Government privatizes management of 3,900 km of national routes - Buenos Aires Herald

Private companies will be in charge of operating and maintaining those sections for 20 years. Public spending on roads fell 80% under Milei

buenosairesherald.com

 

[Ries]

well, there is absolutely no way anything can go wrong with a plan like this, eh?
no one will ever complain about lack of road maintenance again, or the cost of taxes, because the benevolent wealthy oligarchs who will now own our autopistas have nothing but our convenience and wellbeing in their plans for our utopian future.

 

[FrankPintor]

If I remember correctly (I'll try to find the reference), I believe I read that at least some of these concessions come with no requirement to "expanding" the roads in question, and "maintaining and repairing" is reduced to filling potholes.

Some of the existing concessions are well managed, for example the Panamerica Norte with routes 8 and 9, at least within 100km of CABA are the equal of most European motorways. I don't mind, within reason, paying for something if I get something good in exchange. Pothole filling is not good.

 

[Ries]

If I remember correctly (I'll try to find the reference), I believe I read that at least some of these concessions come with no requirement to "expanding" the roads in question, and "maintaining and repairing" is reduced to filling potholes.

Some of the existing concessions are well managed, for example the Panamerica Norte with routes 8 and 9, at least within 100km of CABA are the equal of most European motorways. I don't mind, within reason, paying for something if I get something good in exchange. Pothole filling is not good.

of course I was being facetious.
Just look at the results of menem privatizing the rail network- a huge amount of it was just shut down as not profitable. then, it was renationalized 15 years later, and now will be re-privatized.
In each case, service declined, routes were closed, and cost of shipping went up.

I can see various defaults on the privatisation if they are not profitable enough, resulting in abandoned roads, or very expensive government reaquisition.

I find the Panamerica Norte to be so-so, post Milei- the last time I was up there, lots of burned out and unreplaced lights at night, mysterious roadwork that blocked lanes with no workers present, and lots of trash...

roads, especially in provinces where there are only one or two possible paved routes, seem to me to be a pretty basic common need, and should be run by the government, not a for profit company.
Call me a communist- that seems to be going around these days.

 

[LuckyLuke]

I wouldn't mind a toll in Neuquen if they actually fixed the damn rutas. The 151 through Catriel looks like a mortar shelled warzone.

209K views · 3.2K reactions | 🚨 RUTA NACIONAL 151: UN DESASTRE QUE YA NO SE PUEDE OCULTAR No hay descripción que alcance para explicar el estado de la Ruta Nacional 151. La única realidad está en las imágenes que vas a ver. 🕳️ No son simples pozos:

🚨 RUTA NACIONAL 151: UN DESASTRE QUE YA NO SE PUEDE OCULTAR No hay descripción que alcance para explicar el estado de la Ruta Nacional 151. La única realidad está en las imágenes que vas a ver. 🕳️...

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There are tires grooves so deep in the asphalt from the trucks hauling heavy oil industry equipment that the road scrapes the undercarriage.

 

[Ries]

I wouldn't mind a toll in Neuquen if they actually fixed the damn rutas. The 151 through Catriel looks like a mortar shelled warzone.

209K views · 3.2K reactions | 🚨 RUTA NACIONAL 151: UN DESASTRE QUE YA NO SE PUEDE OCULTAR No hay descripción que alcance para explicar el estado de la Ruta Nacional 151. La única realidad está en las imágenes que vas a ver. 🕳️ No son simples pozos:

🚨 RUTA NACIONAL 151: UN DESASTRE QUE YA NO SE PUEDE OCULTAR No hay descripción que alcance para explicar el estado de la Ruta Nacional 151. La única realidad está en las imágenes que vas a ver. 🕳️...

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There are tires grooves so deep in the asphalt from the trucks hauling heavy oil industry equipment that the road scrapes the undercarriage.

the issue is not toll or no toll.
I have no problem paying tolls, for well maintained roads, and have done so in both Argentina and Uruguay.
the issue is, are you paying a toll to a government agency, which is at least theoretically answerable to the public,
vs
a for profit private company, which is pretty much not answerable to anyone, certainly under the milei administration, but most likely, able to pad the books, pay relatives to run contracting companies, and, then, go bankrupt and leave town with the money.

I know many people dont trust government- but in the long run, worldwide, public transportation is better run and less expensive than private companies.
The bus from Ezieza is under 5000 pesos, the taxis can be 45,000.

 

[LuckyLuke]

the issue is not toll or no toll.
I have no problem paying tolls, for well maintained roads, and have done so in both Argentina and Uruguay.
the issue is, are you paying a toll to a government agency, which is at least theoretically answerable to the public,
vs
a for profit private company, which is pretty much not answerable to anyone, certainly under the milei administration, but most likely, able to pad the books, pay relatives to run contracting companies, and, then, go bankrupt and leave town with the money.

I know many people dont trust government- but in the long run, worldwide, public transportation is better run and less expensive than private companies.
The bus from Ezieza is under 5000 pesos, the taxis can be 45,000.

I hear you, but I personally think the opposite is true. The government's books are opaque and your road taxes disappear into a million different places. Nobody in particular is accountable. Heck, Vialidad doesn't even exist anymore. A private company whose only job is that highway is most certainly more accountable and the books easily auditable should the government choose to investigate malfeasance. Corruption, Noquis, graft, etc. will be prevalent in any public contract. The government will happily throw the private company under the bus when it becomes scandalous and award the contract to someone else. The point being, the private company knows the hand that feeds it and has to demonstrate enough maintenance to please everyone.

Where I have a bone to pick is that the fuel taxes that already pay for road maintenance don't go down despite a separate toll. So it's basically more tax revenue for me and more taxes for thee.

 

[Ries]

I hear you, but I personally think the opposite is true. The government's books are opaque and your road taxes disappear into a million different places. Nobody in particular is accountable. Heck, Vialidad doesn't even exist anymore. A private company whose only job is that highway is most certainly more accountable and the books easily auditable should the government choose to investigate malfeasance. Corruption, Noquis, graft, etc. will be prevalent in any public contract. The government will happily throw the private company under the bus when it becomes scandalous and award the contract to someone else. The point being, the private company knows the hand that feeds it and has to demonstrate enough maintenance to please everyone.

Where I have a bone to pick is that the fuel taxes that already pay for road maintenance don't go down despite a separate toll. So it's basically more tax revenue for me and more taxes for thee.

I am older, and have seen a lot of promises from private industry, in several countries, be vaporware.
I also am old enough to have known a fair amount of honest politicians and government workers in a few countries, who work hard and dont go bankrupt.

the big problem is the extremely regressive tax system, and the current administration firing everyone competent.
Private companies are never accountable.