Hornafjörður mayor calls for lower road tolls

Hornafjörður’s mayor has called on the government to review tolls for the new road across Hornafjarðarfljót, mbl.is reports, saying the charges are too high.

A single trip costs 1,500 Icelandic krónur, while the maximum charge for each vehicle is 18,750 krónur per month. Toll collection is scheduled to begin on September 1.

The mayor said residents of nearby rural communities, including Suðursveit and Mýrar, rely entirely on services in Höfn. There is no school in those communities, for example.

The infrastructure minister said the government understood concerns raised by residents of Hornafjörður but pointed to the significant benefits of the road section. The Ring Road was shortened by 12 kilometres when the road opened at the end of June, saving travellers time, fuel and toll costs.