The Highway Sub-Concessions

This essay examines the development and characteristics of highway sub-concessions, focusing on the market for the refuelling services («oil» services), refreshment services («non-oil» services) and electric vehicle recharging services offered on highways. The analysis is conducted by reviewing data concerning highway infrastructure, market operators, traffic and consumption on highways. Additionally, highway concessions and legislation are examined to understand how they regulate the relationships between highway grantors, concessionaires and sub-concessionaires, and how these relationships impact the services provided and the prices charged to users. The analysis reveals that despite the widespread availability of oil and non-oil services, there has been a progressive increase in prices over the years, leading to a reduction in demand for highway services. This essay has two objectives: first, to identify the reasons for this contradiction, primarily attributed to the economic unsustainability of sub-concessions; second, to examine the recent actions taken by the Transport Regulatory Authority (Art) to address the existing issues in the market.