Toll Bridge

LegacyUser

I know the East Link is free - and so it should be as we spend waaay too much time getting change out of our pockets and end up delaying traffic even more. so can someone please explain why the west link isn't free?? thats the most congested toll road in the country so it would make more sense to have that free aswell would it not??

Idleater

I emailed them a query in this regard yesterday evening after reading this point in a different thread.

By my reckoning, I spend a minimum of 60 seconds at the booth, if I take my time, I could stretch that to 120-150 seconds (especially in winter).

Assuming it takes a car at most 20 seconds to go through regardless of weather, that makes a minimum of 3, and anything up to 10 cars (guess) each paying €1.80 not going through while I count my change.

No reply yet....

L.

Slaanesh

I pulled in just before the booth, took out the change. Rolled up to the booth, handed it in and drove through. Didn't interrupt anyone and was just as quick as a car.

Krusty_Clown

It has previously been suggested that you shouldn't rush too much when paying the toll on a motorcycle (for safety reasons, of course). Eventually they'll get the message.

I've even read of one rider who likes to pull up at the automated cashier, get's off his bike, removed his gloves, and picks up the loose change that didn't make it into the bucket. Apparently, he's saving for a new bike.. The cashiers do tend to get pissed off with this though, as they consider the errant coins as some form of tip. Finders keepers, losers weepers..

Noelie

but wouldn't he hav to pay more for the toll this way? bike are only 90cent aren't they and cars are 1.80

Idleater

Slaanesh wrote:

I pulled in just before the booth, took out the change. Rolled up to the booth, handed it in and drove through. Didn't interrupt anyone and was just as quick as a car.

Sorry,

Maybe I should have been clearer ( ) in my post about the length *cough* of time it takes to go through.

Don't worry, I had on one occasion a pressing engagement to make on the other side of the toll bridge and I could get through quite smartly.

To be honest, I could not be arsed to give them the satisfaction of me spending time getting change and driving the length of the m50 with it already in my glove.

L.

spiggotpaddy

once we,re on the move on our bikes we dont want to stop especialy not to pay a toll. its not the tax we,re used to that its the stopping.before i head off i get the kit on properly no air gaps everything snug and the bridge ruins it.i recently watched in disgust a german tourist on his bmw bike getting abuse from a car behind behind because he was'nt quick enough.a simple solution to this problem could be if all bikers arriving at the toll should stop and kill the engine then dismount then take off the gloves then search for the correct change and carry on acordingly, maybe then they would,nt even bother with us.if we stop long enough we are not economicly viable.

Guy:Incognito

nereid wrote:

Assuming it takes a car at most 20 seconds to go through regardless of weather, that makes a minimum of 3, and anything up to 10 cars (guess) each paying €1.80 not going through while I count my change.

No reply yet....

L.

Where do you think they are going to disappear to? If you spend 20 mins chatting to the guy in the booth the cars are still going to be there to pay their €1.80


Why exactly do bikers feel they should'nt have to pay anyway? The bridge is there as an option, if you CHOOSE to use it, pay for it like everyone else.

Idleater

Stekelly wrote:

Where do you think they are going to disappear to? If you spend 20 mins chatting to the guy in the booth the cars are still going to be there to pay their €1.80

Touche.

But, at least if bikes were let through, then the queue would move faster and traffic congestion would at least not be worsened.

Stekelly wrote:

Why exactly do bikers feel they should'nt have to pay anyway? The bridge is there as an option, if you CHOOSE to use it, pay for it like everyone else.

Probably because it is more hassle than it seems worth. It is a moot point anyway, because if and when I decide to use the toll bridge, I can still make it a good distance to the airport before you have even made it to the N3.

The way I worked it out, I merely suggested a possible revenue per minute increase.

The smoother that the toll bridge works for cars, the more that are likely to use it. That was my point.

L.

Paparazzo

Stekelly wrote:

Why exactly do bikers feel they should'nt have to pay anyway? The bridge is there as an option, if you CHOOSE to use it, pay for it like everyone else.

1st of all they cause no congestion at all on the M50 (except for the toll bridge)
2nd then it takes so much time to stop your bike, get off, put the bike on the stand, take your gloves off, fish around for change, give it to the teller, get your change back, put that back in your pocket, get your gloves on which can take a while if they have the waterproof flap that goes under your jacket (mine do), get back on your bike and drive off. It's hardly worth the 80 cent.
3rd, it's free for bikers in every country I've been in on the bike.
4th, It's free on the east link, so why not the west link?
5th, the government is supposed to be easing congestion, surely making the already chockablock M50 commuters wait behind the odd biker for a scabby 80 cent isn't helping. And surely they should be encouraging bikers.


Last time i went through the girl in the booth said it was a disgrace that bikers have to pay.

stipey

From what I've heard, bikers in the UK had to pay tolls at one stage... until they somebody had a eureka moment and came up with a plan that went something like this....

It started with 10 bikers.
They drove from Lucan to the toll bridge in convoy and all went through the same lane.
Each went through the process Paparazzo mentioned below - stop bike, get off, put bike on stand, take gloves off, fish around for wallet, give it to teller, get change back, put change back in your wallet, get gloves on, get back on bike and drive off

Only thing was, it turned out that nobody had anything smaller than a 20 - and to top it all off they just so happened to be 10 bikers who suffered from OCD - so naturally each one had to arrange the change (notes and coins) in their wallet so they were "just so" before driving off.

They left the M50 northbound at Blanchardstown, crossed the flyover and came back the other side - towards the toll bridge. All still in the same lane. Bizarrely, despite getting change just 5 minutes ago - none of them had anything smaller than a 20 this time around either.

Anyway, news of this OCD bikers support group soon spread far and wide and once a week they made this journey. Each week their numbers grew until they were 200 strong.

In sympathy with their condition, the nice, benevolent people in charge of the tolls waived them for bikers.

Imagine that happened here!

Idleater

stipey wrote:

It started with 10 bikers.
They drove from Lucan to the toll bridge in convoy and all went through the same lane.

Cool.

Good idea.

I reckon the tank bag can hold about €200 + in change

L.

Guy:Incognito

stipey wrote:

Imagine that happened here!

Yeah, we should build a lucan, blanchardstown and an m50 here aswell.:)


Seeing as its cars causing all the congestion, why not let cars through free and just charge the bikers, that way the cars can move freely and there wont be ques.


They could stick a lane on the end thats only for bikers and they have to use it. that way you can all get off your bikes and spend all day chatting at the barrier for all the rest of us care.

Jsut as an aside, seeing as you dont want to pay this charge, why not block the street outside Leinster house till they waive motor tax aswell?

Idleater

Stekelly wrote:

Jsut as an aside, seeing as you dont want to pay this charge, why not block the street outside Leinster house till they waive motor tax aswell?

Seeing as the road tax for a bike is a maximum of €67 currently, I don't think that is the highest of concern for bikers. VAT on protective gear maybe, but I certainly have no qualms paying the road tax for my bikes.

And, seeing as you are the ones we are holding up on the toll bridge, I think it is in your interest for us not hold you up from joining your queue 100m up the road as quickly as possible.

As an aside, the Government have not much to do with the toll on the bridge, so protesting to them would be pretty much pointless.

L.

Tree

a narrow lane for motorcyclists would make sense, no toll.

should do the same on our new stretch of motorway bypassing fermoy too

Krusty_Clown

Didn't Bertie announce the other day (probably in an effort to divert attention) that the toll bridges were moving to barrier-free (i.e. electronic) money collection mechanisms, so the whole bike/congestion argument will be moot at that point (2008 I believe was the time-frame quoted). We'll just have to wait and see how much they charge us bikers..

I thought the toll-fee on the N4 was a bit steep for bikers (in relation to the car price).

stipey

We'll just have to wait and see how much they charge us bikers..

If we're lucky they'll have to read the reg from the front so they can also get a photo of the driver to prove who was driving and by extension who has incurred the charge.

Krusty_Clown

stipey wrote:

If we're lucky they'll have to read the reg from the front so they can also get a photo of the driver to prove who was driving and by extension who has incurred the charge.

I like the way you're thinking.. Maybe they'll overlook us completely, like the forward facing 'average speed cameras' that they recently mounted up Norf.