More than 40,000 people have signed a petition launched by the Icelandic Automobile Association in protest of planned road tolls on all traffic on the highways surrounding Iceland’s capital in order to raise funds for road construction.

Minister of Interior Affairs Ögmundur Jónasson told ruv.is that he takes the petition seriously but urged those who know of better ideas than establishing road tolls to speed up road improvements in the area to come forward.

Jónasson added that if necessary funds are not to come from road tolls they have to be collected elsewhere than from the state treasury as it does not have sufficient funds. If no additional funds can be collected, road improvements cannot be expedited.

However, the authorities are always open to ideas on less expensive ways to achieve the same goals, he added, declaring that, “We haven’t received these signatures yet […] but of course we must take it very seriously if tens of thousands of people challenge us.”

The petition ends tomorrow.

According to dv.is, Jónasson is planning to appoint a committee with people from different areas to estimate the pros and cons of road tolls.