M50 trucker protest tomorrow - should it be allowed

I.S.T.

Lads,

was just reading the news story below on RTE. The truckers are holding a protest on the M50 in the morning and it is expected to cause chaos. Do you think they would be allowed to protest at peak times, especially on a "motorway"? I remember then the young drivers from MIJAG had their car protests they always took place on weekends to try to avoid pissing the general public off. Shouldn't the truckers do the same?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0507/hauliers.html

Haulier protest to disrupt M50
Monday, 7 May 2007 20:54

Gardaí have warned motorists in Dublin to expect major traffic disruption tomorrow as up to 600 truckers are expected to take part in a protest against the Heavy Goods Vehicles ban in Dublin city centre.

The protest, which is being organised by a new group called the Road Transport Association, will begin at 5am on the northbound and southbound lanes of the M50 and at Dublin Port.

The Road Transport Association say the HGV ban is forcing them to use an already overburdened M50.

They say the tolls, extra mileage and traffic congestion on the motorway means their costs are increasing while their productivity is decreasing.

An estimated 600 trucks will converge at three locations from 5am in the morning and begin moving 30 minutes later.

The first group will start at Finglas and will drive south on the M50 to the Ballymount exit before turning around and going towards the M1/M50 interchange.

The second group will also travel on the M50 from Citywest to M1/M50 interchange.

The third group will drive from the Point Depot to Dublin Port and back.

They say the protest will not stop until they get progress.

The AA say there could be delays of up to one hour on the M50 tomorrow and are advising motorists to leave early.

Guy:Incognito

Just like the taxi's should have been bulldosed out of the way when they protested, the truckers should be moved on their way.

They should start making them pay the toll on the tunnel till they shut up and go about their business.

voxpop

They have some valid points - its seems ridiculous to me that a truck coming from the south of ireland has to drive the whole way around dublin on the M50 in order to enter the port tunnel - there should be one on each side of the city. All the government have done is put even more traffic on a road that is already overflown.
Then again I dont use the M50 for the daily commute...

I.S.T.

voxpop wrote:

They have some valid points - its seems ridiculous to me that a truck coming from the south of ireland has to drive the whole way around dublin on the M50 in order to enter the port tunnel - there should be one on each side of the city. All the government have done is put even more traffic on a road that is already overflown.
Then again I dont use the M50 for the daily commute...

I agree that they have valid points, for a start they shouldn't have to pay the M50 toll (then again, nobody should have to pay it, but that is a whole different debate!), also they should not have brought the 5 axel city ban in until the m50 upgrade is complete.

But by having the protest in the morning and pissing off thousands of people trying to get to work, drop their kids off, etc etc, they are not going to gain any sympathy for themselves.

Keyzer

voxpop wrote:

They have some valid points - its seems ridiculous to me that a truck coming from the south of ireland has to drive the whole way around dublin on the M50 in order to enter the port tunnel - there should be one on each side of the city. All the government have done is put even more traffic on a road that is already overflown.
Then again I dont use the M50 for the daily commute...

Valid points my arse..
Anyone who uses the M50 everyday gets pissed off about it but at the end of the day you put up with it because there's nothing else you can do.
I pay 4 quid to get to work everyday just for using that glorified car park.
Do they think they are the only people suffering? The whole lot of them should be arrested for doing this.

DonJose

Fair play to the truckers, they have my support on this. Paying a toll on a road that we've paid for is just crazy. We already pay enough in road tax, VRT, and petrol taxes the last thing we need to do is line the Governments buddies pockets.

voxpop

All those pissed off commuters will probably be equally annoyed with the government, espically after the red cow mess last week (and for the next year). Im guessing the truckers maybe thought the government mightnt want the extra bad publicity of the m50 being completly gridlocked 2 weeks in a row and so give in. I have sympathy for anyone who has to use the m50 every day in order to get to work or for their work and would place blame on the governments shoulders rather than the truckers.
If I did use the M50 daily, I would be searching for a seperate route for tomorrow rather than giving out about the protest. There isnt enough protesting in this country as it is imo.We are too nice.

Guy:Incognito

DonJose wrote:

Fair play to the truckers, they have my support on this. Paying a toll on a road that we've paid for is just crazy. We already pay enough in road tax, VRT, and petrol taxes the last thing we need to do is line the Governments buddies pockets.

We paid for the road. Private investors paid for the bridge. Unless you have wings on your car to avoid useing the bit they pay for and until it's bought out, such is life.

DonJose

Stekelly wrote:

We paid for the road. Private investors paid for the bridge. Unless you have wings on your car to avoid useing the bit they pay for and until it's bought out, such is life.

They paid €14m for the bridge, Fianna Fail bought it back for €600m, the sooner those gangsters are gone the better. There are plenty of other motorways around the country that we've paid for yet and we're still being tolled.

bazz26

Would such a thing as a "go slow" protest on the M50 be noticed? Traffic doesn't move that fast anyway with the road works, etc there at the moment.

Marcus.Aurelius

bazz26 wrote:

Would such a thing as a "go slow" protest on the M50 be noticed? Traffic doesn't move that fast anyway with the road works, etc there at the moment.

Makes a good point. Are they likely to still be holding traffic up come 8-9 AM?

EDIT: I know the hauliers have faced a lot of cost soaring, but we don't need this on the M50.

Guy:Incognito

DonJose wrote:

They paid €14m for the bridge, Fianna Fail bought it back for €600m, the sooner those gangsters are gone the better. There are plenty of other motorways around the country that we've paid for yet and we're still being tolled.

My parents bought their house for £9,000ish. It's worth €400,000 ish now. It's called inflation. €14m isnt what it used to be.

imalegend

Stekelly wrote:

My parents bought their house for £9,000ish. It's worth €400,000 ish now. It's called inflation. €14m isnt what it used to be.

not just inflation but also apprication on a good business!!but sure how could it have possibly failed as a business..once the bridge was up people were queing up to use the think!!

The government should have had a buy out clause in the contract when the were letting this bridge and every other bridge be built.I agree that it had to be done and fair enough let the people who stumped up the cash benefit from it as they have but when the time comes a price should have been agreed a long time ago in accordance with inflation predictions and not 600 bloddy million of the taxpayers dosh!

As for the truckers i think they are being selfish in this matter but they are also clever as people are calling to doors at the moment in the political circle and people who use the bridge will ask st8 away what are you going to do!!Fine Gael say they will introduce barrier free tolling but how can you trust the quick implenmentation of a system like that??It works in oz on alot of major roads so whats the big hold up here?

I think since the government have bought this road back it should in all essence just be given back to the people and not barrier free tolling just plain and simple free.Or if they want to re coup some of the money introduce barrier free tolling but not at the expense of the people.Rip up the current plaza and gradually introduce it but until it is in place let the people use the road they have paid for!And once the bridge is paid for let it be free again.Very simple for me to sit here and say this as im sure it woud be a huge bread winner for the government but the government cant put a price on the quality of peoples lives and that would increase with the abolishment of the plaza's!Im not a regular user of the bridge but after visiting oz and seeing how easy it is to get around i hate seeing this on our roads!

DonJose

Stekelly wrote:

It's called inflation. €14m isnt what it used to be.

Actually the cost of buying the bridge has nothing to do with inflation. The government is buying out NTR's interest in the bridge using tax payers money and the government will award a new contract to their buddies who will continue to toll users of the M50 via barrier-free tolling.

imalegend

DonJose wrote:

Actually the cost of buying the bridge has nothing to do with inflation. The government is buying out NTR's interest in the bridge using tax payers money and the government will award a new contract to their buddies who will continue to toll users of the M50 via barrier-free tolling.

so are the government buying the bridge(ie they own the bridge and will lease it out to these new guys or just buying the NTR business so they can get rid of them from the bridge but the NTR will still own the actual bridge?

Gatster

It wasn't that bad, I don't think they've had the turnout they expected. I left Swords at 0630 (late for me ) and got to work at the end of the M50 at 0745, it normally takes me 40 minutes if I leave on time (0620). The convoy had only got to just before the Red-Cow exit, and traffic was completely clear after that - Saying that, there seemed to be a lot more trucks on the Northbound side.

Is it going on all day, or are they going to disband at some pre-arranged time?

Seth Brundle

I left home at about 5 to 8 and once I was on the N4 I stopped twice - at the Newcastle cross and the M50 traffic lights. I drove pretty much on the speed limit all the way to the M50.
Traffic was slowish initially on the M50 but didn't take too far before the 60km/h limit was achievable. Beyond the red cow interchange people were passing me as I was doing 60km/h!
C'mon truckers - do it again tomorrow!

ciarsd

Gatster wrote:

Is it going on all day, or are they going to disband at some pre-arranged time?

about 10am I think.

Tallaght to Lucan was free-flowing for the most part of this morning according to a friend of mine who was dreading this mornings commute!

Wossack

Stopping at 10am I heard, going up and down the m50 till then.

prospect

I left home at 7:40am this morning and was in work in 30minutes. Normally it takes me an hour.

ambro25

Keyzer wrote:

Valid points my arse..
Anyone who uses the M50 everyday gets pissed off about it but at the end of the day you put up with it because there's nothing else you can do.
I pay 4 quid to get to work everyday just for using that glorified car park.
Do they think they are the only people suffering? The whole lot of them should be arrested for doing this.

So they're doing something about it, and you're suffering in silence...

G'wan truckers, keep at it all week

patsyh

They scaled back the protest

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0508/hauliers.html

ciarsd

'Scaled back' or truckers not arsed in turning up for the protest - I'm hearing two different sides in every other news report so far this morning.

patsyh

ciarsd wrote:

'Scaled back' or truckers not arsed in turning up for the protest - I'm hearing two different sides in every other news report so far this morning.

wasnt supported by the official truckers organisation(Irish Road Haulage Associaiton). Seems to be a breakaway group that was organising it

Marcus.Aurelius

imalegend wrote:

so are the government buying the bridge(ie they own the bridge and will lease it out to these new guys or just buying the NTR business so they can get rid of them from the bridge but the NTR will still own the actual bridge?

Not quite but its all Money money money and so forth

BarryM3

I have to stand up for the trucks here...

For starters EVERYONE complains about the M50, either its delays or its toll charges so why do people get upset when a group (this time the truck drivers) try and do something about it????

I work in the family transport business and have trucks and vans on the road in Dublin everyday.... Only 4 of our trucks use the M50 on a regular basis and our invoice from NTR is about E2k a month to sit in a traffic jam and loose money....

The toll itself is not a problem , I've no problem paying a toll for a quality road but to have to pay to sit in a sometimes 3-5mile MAN MADE and AVOIDABLE traffic jam is taking the piss..

The money it costs the economy is absolutely insane and the people paying the costs are not just the hauliers but every man woman and child in this country... Everything in the office or house you are now sitting in was brought to you by a truck, right down to the monitor you're looking at... so as transport is charged primarily by the hour in some shape or form, the more time it takes the more money it costs to transport the goods and the higher the retail price.

Combine all that with the fact that teh Transport industry is one of the most heavily taxed businesses you can be in... We have a 6 year old truck that I happened to be clering out the other day, I found E11k worth of tax discs in the window, not to mention the E600 of diesel put into it every week that the revenue get half of.

Gatster

All of what BarryM3 is valid IMO...it's finished now according to the AA, what effect it will have had is debatable...:rolleyes:

One thing that did annoy me this morning was the w@nker in the passenger seat of the Van in front of me who gave 'the finger' to the entire line of trucks as we both sped past in the right hand lane

stovelid

Stekelly wrote:

My parents bought their house for £9,000ish. It's worth €400,000 ish now. It's called inflation. €14m isnt what it used to be.

Does your parents house generate millions of quid a year for them as well, ste?

Marcus.Aurelius

If you're thick enough to vote FF/PD, then you should shut up about our fine M50. :rolleyes:

patsyh

maoleary wrote:

If you're thick enough to vote FF/PD, then you should shut up about our fine M50. :rolleyes:

Yea because the Greens are going to carpet the country with Luas's:rolleyes:

Marcus.Aurelius

patsyh wrote:

Yea because the Greens are going to carpet the country with Luas's:rolleyes:

Still better than the toll-bridge farce.

layke

BarryM3 wrote:

I have to stand up for the trucks here...

For starters EVERYONE complains about the M50, either its delays or its toll charges so why do people get upset when a group (this time the truck drivers) try and do something about it????

I work in the family transport business and have trucks and vans on the road in Dublin everyday.... Only 4 of our trucks use the M50 on a regular basis and our invoice from NTR is about E2k a month to sit in a traffic jam and loose money....

For a start, these truckers may be protesting the governement's actions so why am I the one paying for it?

As for the maintenance, well I have no problem paying for a roads upkeep but I believe I do so already with VRT and road tax. We were told when the toll went in it was only to pay for the roads construction.... were we lied to? I think so.

Guy:Incognito

imalegend wrote:

not just inflation but also apprication on a good business!!but sure how could it have possibly failed as a business..once the bridge was up people were queing up to use the think!!

The government should have had a buy out clause in the contract when the were letting this bridge and every other bridge be built.I agree that it had to be done and fair enough let the people who stumped up the cash benefit from it as they have but when the time comes a price should have been agreed a long time ago in accordance with inflation predictions and not 600 bloddy million of the taxpayers dosh!!

They had a broke government bent over a barrel, they could pretty much pick their own terms though.

Not directed at you but there are an awfull lot of people on this forum that have never experience economic hardship of any kind and seem to think that the way its been for the last 10 years or so was the way it always was.

stovelid wrote:

Does your parents house generate millions of quid a year for them as well, ste?

Yes, its been avery successful , tax paying brothel since 1994.:D

timmywex

right to free speech, its in our constitution!!

BarryM3

layke wrote:

For a start, these truckers may be protesting the governement's actions so why am I the one paying for it?

Ya can't make an omellette without breaking a few eggs!!!

You had to suffer one day for an hour maybe, put yourself in the truckers position who have to sit in that a couple of times a day!!!

The trucks have to be there, a LOT of the car traffic doesn't....

junkyard

I think we should all get out there and protest, we're all being screwed as motorists. There should be no such thing as toll roads, we're already paying more then we should.:mad:

DonJose

junkyard wrote:

I think we should all get out there and protest, we're all being screwed as motorists.

You have your chance to protest in 2 weeks, I'll be voting against FF/PD corruption and mismanagement.

Stekelly wrote:

Not directed at you but there are an awfull lot of people on this forum that have never experience economic hardship of any kind and seem to think that the way its been for the last 10 years or so was the way it always was.

The prosperity we are experiencing at the moment will be short lived, we are already running a deficit. This short lived prosperity is purely driven by low corporation tax and a booming construction sector. The construction sector is already in freefall and the EU are working on proposals that will force Ireland to increase corporation tax rates.

Fey!

BarryM3; did YOU go out and protest yourself, given that it effects you personally?

Several others; this is a motoring forum, not a political one. Whilst our government may not get everything right, I don't think that their replacements will be much better; ALL politicians seem to be unable to keep a promise, in my oh-so-humble opinion.

BarryM3

No, my company didn't take part in the protest. But I back it.

Biro

I'd agree with BarryM3. From another view most of the trucks shouldn't be on the M50 in the first place because its not on their route. The new law is forcing them onto it. Anyone coming from the West heading for the docks is now forced onto a congested M50 whereas before they could just drive over the bridge and wave down at it. And anyone coming up from the south east has to travel the distance of it just to go back down close to where they came from adding to the pollution as well as the traffic.