Vialidad Nacional fines Ricchieri Highway concessionaire for improper toll charges

Vialidad Nacional has issued a fine of 73,847,000 pesos against the concessionaire Rutas Sur Atlántico following improper toll charges on the Ricchieri Highway, a major access point to the Buenos Aires metropolitan area.

The error occurred on August 14, when users utilizing Telepase linked to Mercado Pago were billed amounts as high as 155,802 pesos, significantly exceeding the standard off-peak rate of 1,548 pesos. While the company attributed the discrepancy to a technical failure by its service provider, Vialidad Nacional maintained that the concessionaire remains responsible for its subcontractors under the terms of the contract.

The agency noted that the requirement to refund users does not exempt the company from the fine, as restitution and contractual penalties are treated as independent obligations. The company has five days to settle the fine following formal notification.