As Portugal prepares to unveil a new electronic road toll system mid-July, motorway operator Estradas de Portugal has announced the creation of 32 support positions to provide assistance to foreign visitors, Lusa news agency reports.

The new seasonal hires will be expected to be fluent in Spanish and English as well as speak some French and Italian in order to assist visitors with the compulsory road toll registration process and take payment from those who do not have a credit card.

The move comes after the introduction of road tolls in May led to severe teething problems and much confusion during Easter weekend, prompting complaints and protests from foreign visitors.

Upon entering Portugal, drivers will no longer have to step out of the vehicle at road tolls thanks to an automated registration system that associates bank card details with a number plate photographed by an automatic device, Estradas de Portugal say.

The registration process does not require the introduction of the card’s PIN code and should not exceed 10 seconds. The machine then issues a paper receipt that serves as proof of payment before the authorities.

Toll fees will be charged to the card on file whenever a vehicle travels on any of Portugal’s four motorways – A22 Via do Infante – Algarve, Chaves (A24), Vilar Formoso (A25) and Cerveira (EN13/A28).