Tolls on the M8

Amtmann

I haven't noticed any other threads on this, so I'll raise it here. This post relates to tolling on the M8 Fermoy Bypass.

The road is phenomenal; I don't know anyone with a bad word to say on how it's built. You get a great drive out of it -- until you hit the toll, that is. Indeed, one of the reasons you get such a good drive is because the road is so empty - shockingly so, for such a high quality stretch. This is because of the toll. Everyone knows that. I hear that only 11,000 vehicles per day use the road; the remainder continue to use the R639 through Fermoy, Rathcormac and Watergrasshill.

And as we all know, the M8 will see another toll close to where it joins with the M7 when it opens in 2010. Will this section be similarly boycotted?

Opinions on possible solutions? The only one I can see is obvious: Cut the toll, by 50%+ if necessary. But whose call is this?

Idbatterim

i dont understand why the toll isnt reduced to get more traffic out of town, theyd be charging less but selling more. there is a median price where the vast majority of users would use the road for a reasonable toll.

1huge1

In fact they've increased the toll a number of times since it was introduced when its the opposite they should be doing.

Its €1.80 now.

Colm R

I've heard that more people use the toll northbound than southbound. You feel like you've been on a good road since you left Dunkettle, that it is worth it to just keep going.

However going Southbound, you haven't been on a DC since Cahir and you are nearly home so why bother. I would think that the traffic will improve on the Fermoy bypass once the road from Cahir is complete.

patrickc

it's a great road, but the toll is expensive, i still use it everytime, hate the way it's 100kph towards cork after it though. gardai always on it after that too

Stark

They should reduce the tolls for HGVs at least. It's not fair on the residents of Watergrasshill to be pushing all the trucks through their village, especially as the Watergrasshill bypass was free to use (and taxpayer funded I presume) before the Fermoy bypass opened.

Irish and Proud

Furet wrote: »

I haven't noticed any other threads on this, so I'll raise it here. This post relates to tolling on the M8 Fermoy Bypass.

The road is phenomenal; I don't know anyone with a bad word to say on how it's built. You get a great drive out of it -- until you hit the toll, that is. Indeed, one of the reasons you get such a good drive is because the road is so empty - shockingly so, for such a high quality stretch. This is because of the toll. Everyone knows that. I hear that only 11,000 vehicles per day use the road; the remainder continue to use the R639 through Fermoy, Rathcormac and Watergrasshill.

And as we all know, the M8 will see another toll close to where it joins with the M7 when it opens in 2010. Will this section be similarly boycotted?

Opinions on possible solutions? The only one I can see is obvious: Cut the toll, by 50%+ if necessary. But whose call is this?

Cut VRT, and motorists might feel a little less cheated. I'm not a motorist myself, but I can understand the apparent dissent - all the years that motorists have been paying high taxes - I guess the cumulative sum would have paid for the upgrade of all national routes (2+2s and Motorways) many times over. I don't know the exact exchequer returns for motoring though - I'd be talking about the inclusion of Motor Tax, VAT, VRT, and Excise Duty etc.

Regards!

serfboard

I don't understand this.

1. Surely the company that built it borrowed money to build it?
2. Surely they need to pay this money back?
3. If they are not generating sufficient revenue, surely the most obvious step for them is to reduce the toll and get more business?

Amtmann

RTE have a report on this here. It's a bloody disgrace when you think about it. http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0104/bypass.html

Chris_533976

Colm R wrote: »

However going Southbound, you haven't been on a DC since Cahir and you are nearly home so why bother. I would think that the traffic will improve on the Fermoy bypass once the road from Cahir is complete.

This, basically.

Traffic on this will go up when the Mitchelstown - Fermoy scheme is done.

D'Peoples Voice

Furet wrote: »

I haven't noticed any other threads on this, so I'll raise it here. This post relates to tolling on the M8 Fermoy Bypass.

I was thinking you couldn't have been the first person to bring this up on boards.ie

Oh boy -> Part of N8 to be closed to FORCE people to pay the Fermoy M8 toll....

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054985287

Fermoy By-pass being by-passed?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055003787

N8 Speed Limit

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055001607

If only the mods could aggregate all of them into one thread:(

corktina

serfboard wrote: »

I don't understand this.

1. Surely the company that built it borrowed money to build it?
2. Surely they need to pay this money back?
3. If they are not generating sufficient revenue, surely the most obvious step for them is to reduce the toll and get more business?

spot on....we have to either pay for our roads to be built form our taxes OR get a PPP and pay for them through tolls.... i think toll roads are fairer ..that way the user pays...

corktina

Stark wrote: »

They should reduce the tolls for HGVs at least. It's not fair on the residents of Watergrasshill to be pushing all the trucks through their village, especially as the Watergrasshill bypass was free to use (and taxpayer funded I presume) before the Fermoy bypass opened.

the traffic does not pass through WaterGH village at all....its routed over the bypass and up the eastern side of it ....and then back over and on to ther old route north of the village via a widened link road.