Toll Free M50

Sizzler

Courtesy of todays Indo..

RELIEF for up to 100,000 motorists stuck daily on the M50 will be the most tangible promise in the Government's €175bn National Development Plan (NDP) being unveiled today.

The project states the West Link toll barriers will be removed by next year.

They will, however, be replaced by 'invisible' barrier-free, electronic tolls where the vehicle registration is photographed and the driver billed if they do not have a pre-paid sticker.

For decades public transport has been the poor relation when it came to Government funding. Most of the cash is being spent on completing the major inter-urban motorways and dual carriageways.

But the NDP, being unveiled this afternoon by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, includes a €13bn provision for public transport.

Most of the transport initiatives have already been announced as part of Transport 21, a commitment to spend €34bn on two metro lines and seven new Luas routes.

The projects being given the green light today include a commuter rail service between Mallow and Midleton/Cobh by 2008.

More quality bus corridors for Dublin's hard-pressed commuters are also included in the plan over the next seven years.

The document also pledges enhanced capacity at Dublin Airport as well as major investment in the regional airports.

Now can you tell me how they are going to provide for UK Registered cars, Latvian, Polish etc etc So if you want to be toll free just lash on some 'LV' plates onto your car?

They will also need a team of about 1000 credit controllers to collect the cash from the rest of the Irish motoring public

Hagar

Is there an election coming up by any chance? :rolleyes:

maidhc

How many times do the same things have to be announced?

RobAMerc

Why cant they make it toll free TODAY to relieve congestion ?
Why cant they can take the hit for 1 year while they implement the new tolling system - just to get the city moving again, I see no reason for the hold up.

People would begrudge new tolls alot less in a years time if they started getting home an hour ealier from now.

Personally I would like to see motorists stand up and take issue with this the way truckers and farmers do etc.

NeMiSiS

Because the people that run NTR only have a enough money to buy an island to retire too, they need at least enough to buy a small country.. it's only fair.
TK

Lex Luthor

It still doesn't make sense to pay out for it and then toll it again. Why the NTR don't just adapt the barrier free tolling and bill in the same way the govt would is ludicrous.

I heard they don't want to open up the barriers at te moment as it is supposed to stem the flow of traffic approaching the main exits of the N3, N4 & N7 during the construction phase. They are saying of they open it up now, the exits would be worse than they are now.

mickoneill30

Lex Luthor wrote:

It still doesn't make sense to pay out for it and then toll it again. Why the NTR don't just adapt the barrier free tolling and bill in the same way the govt would is ludicrous.

I don't think the government would be getting the money out of thin air. If they don't get it back by tolling which taxes would you suggest raising to pay for it. If NTR just remove the barriers and keep on tolling then the toll will last forever.
If the government buys it out and keeps on tolling to pay the cost of the buyout then the toll can be removed at a future date when it's paid off. (I don't know if that's the plan)

RobAMerc

mickoneill30 wrote:

If the government buys it out and keeps on tolling to pay the cost of the buyout then the toll can be removed at a future date when it's paid off. (I don't know if that's the plan)

Wow really ?
I hope I live long enough to see that. Then I would live to be 100 and never years old.

Gregor Samsa

mickoneill30 wrote:

I don't think the government would be getting the money out of thin air. If they don't get it back by tolling which taxes would you suggest raising to pay for it.

If you're really looking for a suggestion, how about actually implementing the long proposed abolition of the tax exemption that Stud Farms enjoy?

Or doing away with the artist's exemption on income tax...

There's plenty of valid and fair opportunities for tax revenue that don't directly impact on the vast majority of citizens.

Sam Vimes

RobAMerc wrote:

Why cant they make it toll free TODAY to relieve congestion ?
Why cant they can take the hit for 1 year while they implement the new tolling system - just to get the city moving again, I see no reason for the hold up.

People would begrudge new tolls alot less in a years time if they started getting home an hour ealier from now.

Personally I would like to see motorists stand up and take issue with this the way truckers and farmers do etc.

don't you remember? they got an "engineer" to say that making everyone stop, widening the road to 8 lanes and then squashing it back into 2 actually reduces congestion. in fact, they're going to put a toll bridge every 100 metres. then we'll all get past in the blink of an eye

maidhc

phutyle wrote:

There's plenty of valid and fair opportunities for tax revenue that don't directly impact on the vast majority of citizens.

i.e. not you?
...One could raises taxes for Dublin people... for it is they generally use the M50...surely a fair tax that does not impact on the vast majority of citizens!

I don't see why NTR cannot be forced to do this barrier free tolling. If the government just waits a few years the bridge reverts to them anyway. Sounds like a good deal all round for NTR

Gregor Samsa

maidhc wrote:

i.e. not you?

No, as a matter of fact, I'm a part-time painter. The paintings I sell are income tax exempt. But it still doesn't mean I think it's a fair system.

maidhc wrote:

One could raises taxes for Dublin people... for it is they generally use the M50

The M50 can be and is used by hundreds of thousands of motorists from all over the counry (and beyond). I did say "valid and fair opportunities for tax revenue". Both of the examples I gave contravene EU regulations, as would your suggestion.

Lex Luthor

mickoneill30 wrote:

then the toll can be removed at a future date when it's paid off

I like your optimisim, Mick

Guy:Incognito

Removing the barriers now wouldnt get rid of traffic because it would all block up at each of the the exits. The toll bridge is filtering people through slower so they arnt backing up hhalf as much as the would at the exit ramps.

Hopefully by the time the barrier is gotten rid of the junctions will all be upgraded and have slip roads off them so the traffic keeps flowing. but again it'll just mean traffic further down.

The proof is there already look at junctions that have slip roads (Tallaght southbound), theres never ques to get off there. Then take one without a slip (clondalkin Northbound) is always blocked up.

Lex Luthor

Stekelly wrote:

Removing the barriers now wouldnt get rid of traffic because it would all block up at each of the the exits. The toll bridge is filtering people through slower so they arnt backing up hhalf as much as the would at the exit ramps.

Hopefully by the time the barrier is gotten rid of the junctions will all be upgraded and have slip roads off them so the traffic keeps flowing. but again it'll just mean traffic further down.

The proof is there already look at junctions that have slip roads (Tallaght southbound), theres never ques to get off there. Then take one without a slip (clondalkin Northbound) is always blocked up.

I agree with you there.....however I know someone who was involved in the planning of the M50 all those years ago and exits without the roundabouts was put forward at the time but the ideas were shelved as they said it would never get to a stage of the roads being that busy. One of the biggest phuck ups in Irish History

johnnyrotten

Hagar wrote:

Is there an election coming up by any chance? :rolleyes:

Now now, less of the negativity. Leave that to the Muppet show ( Kenny and Rabbite):D

green123

stes point is worth making again

THE TOLL BRIDGE IS NOT THE PROBLEM ON THE M50

THE JUNCTIONS ARE THE PROBLEM

why cant people understand this ?

even when you get through the toll going southbound you still get stuck at all the junctions as the traffic merges

Andrewf20

I think I agree with this. Im not 100% convinced the removal of the toll bridge will make a massive difference at peak times. I frequently see a photo in the eveing herald, probably taken from the N4 bridge, and you can see solid traffic on both sides of the toll booths.

Tipsy Mac

Anytime I have had the pleasure of using the M50 during rush hour going from North to South the traffic is always busy approaching the toll and then is much reduced when I pass the booth, anytime I have driven from the South to North the traffic is always busy approaching the toll and much reduced when I pass it, only conclusion I can make is the toll bridge is the problem.

overdriver

NTR have made an absolute killing out of this bridge because of the contract the Govt signed, which should NEVER have been signed. Will they drop the toll for even 1 day, at Xmas? No.

The sickening part is the the entire motorway is to be tolled, even though the bridge is the part being bought out. So although I don't use the bridge normally, I'll be charged for using the road. This is going to worsen congestion on the alternative roads as people who refuse to use the bridge won't use any part of the M50 then. I certainly won't.

Also NTR will be paid an increasing amount of millions every year for NOT operating the damn bridge now. The toll is FOREVER now, and anyone who thinks the govt will return the M50 - which our taxes have paid for up to and beyond that bridge - to the populace toll-free is deluding themselves. It's just another scam by these wasters and thieves put out in the media like they're doing us a favour.