Catalonia cracks down on safety and crime on the AP‑7 highway

The Catalan government is reviewing the removal of tolls on the AP‑7, the main highway linking France and Spain, after a surge in traffic, accidents and road‑related offences. In the Catalan Parliament, President Salvador Illa questioned whether ending tolls was a mistake and proposed the new B‑40 peripheral route around Barcelona to ease congestion.

A pilot program is installing four of five new digital control stations on former toll sites of the AP‑7. The portals, equipped with cameras and sensors, automatically detect overloads, missing environmental stickers and violations of drivers’ mandatory rest periods. The system, backed by €4.4 million, generated 7,219 fines from 8,264 truck inspections between January and April.

Police in Catalonia have also recorded more than 4,000 vehicle‑theft incidents on the AP‑7 in 2025, a rise attributed to higher traffic after tolls were lifted. Officers have increased patrols and set up rapid‑response units at key exits. Day‑time thefts have been cut by half, while night‑time offences are still being tackled.

These combined measures aim to improve road safety, enforce transport regulations and curb the wave of highway robberies that have plagued motorists traveling between Perpignan and Barcelona.