Algunas reflexiones sobre las distintas alternativas existentes para financiar el mantenimiento y conservación de las carreteras españolas

There are different financing models for the maintenance of Spanish roads, which are based either on gratuity for road users or on payment for the use of such infrastructures. Regardless of the alternative chosen, the essential characteristic which any financing system must meet are identical, requiring submission to stable, predictable and proportional criteria. In this sense, the paper addresses the different financing formula, trying to highlight their difficulties and virtues, as well as offering legal tools in order to mitigate any problems that may arise. In particular, the work will analyse the financing of roads from general budgets, the implementation of user charges - linked to the duration of road use - or the use of tolls - which are levied on the distance travelled by road users.