The M50 Barrier Free Tolling Thread

Seth Brundle

cormie wrote: »

It's decreased the toll cost for vans from €3.40 to €2.80, which is fine for non Vat Registered folk, but for those who could claim the VAT back on the €3.40, it's still the same. So Kbannon, maybe note that the above prices are at a Vat rate of 0%?

I thought they were required by (EU) law to charge VAT?!?!

JayeL

I was going to get an eFlow tag til I read about eTrip, which is normally 30 plus another 36 for credit but they have a pretty good deal for AA members. eTrip tags work in QPark car parks as well and according to the AA website, you get 25 of free credit with the tag. The tag costs 27 for AA members so if you use the extra 25 credit, you essentially just pay 2 for the tag. The free credit runs out on 31/12/08 but I reckon I'll use it one way or another by then.

They haven't mentioned/promoted it much and it seems like a good deal if you park in town a lot.

mcwhirter

Do any of the tag providers accept direct debit/laser payments at the end of the month rather then keeping an account in credit?

cormie

Is the credit only usable for parking? My van can never fit under car park barriers so even though I'm with the AA, it'd be useless for me I wonder if you're with the AA now and join, once the year is up (if it's done per year?) do you have to prove you're still with AA on renewal?

Terrlock

I'm up for one hell of a big protest!!.

Its ridicolous putting in all these toll charges.

And the rate at which they go up is crazy.

I heard its costing a fortune too implement this new tolling system. They won't even be making much of a profit on it.

There is no decent transport system in Dublin, The buses are useless. They all go towards the city centre instead of where people need them too go.

They government need a good kick up the arse and things need too change.

If we just allow all this I bet the toll charges will be gone up too 3 - 4 euro next year.

I think its high time we mounted a big protest. I'm all in for it.
We are far too accepting and passive in this country....

They're better ways to do things. And I also think the government need to answer for why they had to pay 600million too buyout the toll operators.

Who ever made that deal in the first place should be locked up.

tubos

Only thought about this after reading this thread... I have an eazyass that I got years ago. I presume I gave them the reg of my car when I registered, but have changed my car since but still have the tag which is currently not a problem, but it would seem that it will be a problem for the barrier free tolling!!

As a previous poster mentioned, if they can read the car registration plates, why need a tag as well!!?? Surely we could just setup an account based on our number plate.

JayeL

cormie wrote: »

Is the credit only usable for parking? My van can never fit under car park barriers so even though I'm with the AA, it'd be useless for me I wonder if you're with the AA now and join, once the year is up (if it's done per year?) do you have to prove you're still with AA on renewal?

I thought that too, that it was only for parking so I was gonna get an eFlow. But I called them yesterday and they said that the full 25 free credit is for use on either tolls or parking in QPark.

JayeL

tubos wrote: »

Only thought about this after reading this thread... I have an eazyass that I got years ago. I presume I gave them the reg of my car when I registered, but have changed my car since but still have the tag which is currently not a problem, but it would seem that it will be a problem for the barrier free tolling!!

As a previous poster mentioned, if they can read the car registration plates, why need a tag as well!!?? Surely we could just setup an account based on our number plate.

You can, it's called a video account but it only works for the M50 and will cost 2.50 per crossing, 50c more than with a tag.

Marcus.Aurelius

This €1 per month maintenance fee is probably to recoup the cost of the tag itself. (Although, with the plate readers, will they even bother reading the tag?)

I can't stand the idea of paying to drive on a building site, that we've paid for already with PAYE taxes.

The tax man

mcwhirter wrote: »

Do any of the tag providers accept direct debit/laser payments at the end of the month rather then keeping an account in credit?

eFlow let you pay DD by laser and have a post-pay option. That's what I set up with them. Toll charges for the month are taken in the first week of the following month.

L1011

Alun wrote: »

That makes no sense at all. If the system is always going to read the registration plate anyway, then what on earth is the point of the tag? Why not just charge the registered owner of the reg plate and not bother with tags at all? And what the hell does it matter what car the tag is in .. they get their money regardless.

Tags work on other toll roads - and also gives them the cash there and then rather than having to possibly chase people down for reg plates.

I've no idea why the 'video registration' is surcharged so much over tags, though.

Greenmachine

Apperently motorcycle will be excempt. About time. The 8pm next day rule is bull if you don't have an account what if you are off on holidays with your car in long term at Dublin airport.

ART6

Terrlock wrote: »

I'm up for one hell of a big protest!!.

Its ridicolous putting in all these toll charges.

And the rate at which they go up is crazy.

I heard its costing a fortune too implement this new tolling system. They won't even be making much of a profit on it.

There is no decent transport system in Dublin, The buses are useless. They all go towards the city centre instead of where people need them too go.

They government need a good kick up the arse and things need too change.

If we just allow all this I bet the toll charges will be gone up too 3 - 4 euro next year.

I think its high time we mounted a big protest. I'm all in for it.
We are far too accepting and passive in this country....

They're better ways to do things. And I also think the government need to answer for why they had to pay 600million too buyout the toll operators.

Who ever made that deal in the first place should be locked up.

I've posted this before, but can't resist doing so again....The bridge cost €38 millions to build. NTR then got 17years of tolls out of it before being bought out with €600 millions of our money. Now we pay even higher tolls since our wonderful politicians got control of it. If I went into Tesco for a loaf of bread and found that I had to pay another €3 to get through the checkout, the same politicians would be screaming about exploitation of the people. Yes, we are far too passive and accepting. We should all be writing to local TDs and making it very plain that not a single damned one of them gets a vote in future as long as there are tolls on any of the roads we have paid for many times over already.

Steve

The tax man wrote: »

eFlow let you pay DD by laser and have a post-pay option. That's what I set up with them. Toll charges for the month are taken in the first week of the following month.

That's the one I'd use - is there a non maintenance charge?


Maybe related to this but I was driving behind a car yesterday morning when it started raining. As normal I flick on the dipped headlights and lo and behold his number plate becomes unreadable - total white out. Couldn't believe it.

If people got organised and almost everyone went through it one the first day without paying they would be royally screwed. That would be thousands.

VIVA LA REVUCION!

Seth Brundle

ART6 wrote: »

I've posted this before, but can't resist doing so again....The bridge cost €38 millions to build. NTR then got 17years of tolls out of it before being bought out with €600 millions of our money. Now we pay even higher tolls since our wonderful politicians got control of it. If I went into Tesco for a loaf of bread and found that I had to pay another €3 to get through the checkout, the same politicians would be screaming about exploitation of the people. Yes, we are far too passive and accepting. We should all be writing to local TDs and making it very plain that not a single damned one of them gets a vote in future as long as there are tolls on any of the roads we have paid for many times over already.

Whilst I'm loathe to pay the toll and only use the bridge when absolutely necessary, I do accept the fact that the toll was put in place by a private company who developed a section of road (M50 from N3 to N4) as well as the bridge when the government hadn't the money and possibly the will to do it!
Your reference to a loaf of bread in Tesco isn't really valid as you know how much you will pay for the toll before you have to use the bridge (unlike your analogy of a sudden price rise on the pan loaf).

L1011

SteveC wrote: »

Maybe related to this but I was driving behind a car yesterday morning when it started raining. As normal I flick on the dipped headlights and lo and behold his number plate becomes unreadable - total white out. Couldn't believe it.

There are coatings, etc, people can put on plates that make them glare up in direct light. These are completely illegal in this country and anyone seen with them by the Guards (which is anyone who ever drives in front of a cop car) will be dealt with suitably.

The tax man

SteveC wrote: »

That's the one I'd use - is there a non maintenance charge?

There is indeed a non maintenance charge.:mad:

Steve

MYOB wrote: »

There are coatings, etc, people can put on plates that make them glare up in direct light. These are completely illegal in this country and anyone seen with them by the Guards (which is anyone who ever drives in front of a cop car) will be dealt with suitably.

I've seen the coated ones, they are generally visibly to the human eye but not to cameras because of the wavelength they reflect - this wasn't like that at all, it was a total whiteout as soon as I turned the lights on.
I'm sure if they ever end end up with a Garda car behind them they're screwed.

Steve

The tax man wrote: »

There is indeed a non maintenance charge.:mad:

/sigh

L1011

SteveC wrote: »

I've seen the coated ones, they are generally visibly to the human eye but not to cameras because of the wavelength they reflect - this wasn't like that at all, it was a total whiteout as soon as I turned the lights on.
I'm sure if they ever end end up with a Garda car behind them they're screwed.

I've not seen ones that only reflect the cameras - mostly because I've eyes not cameras! ANPR will sort that out, Guards are going to notice cars appearing invisible on the ANPR system when they can see them in front of them...

Steve

I've seen it on tv (UK road wars) where the plate was obviously visible to the cops but their ANPR camera (and the filming camera) just displayed a whiteout.
It's something to do with IR band reflections saturating the camera which are not visible to humans.

S.I.R

zing wrote: »

tolltag.ie are offering tags with no monthly maintenance fee - instead they charge you an extra 10% of each toll charge you clock up (so for the M50 you'd pay 2.20 rather than 2.00) and they charge 30 quid for the tag (for their basic service). Could be a good option for infrequent toll users like me.

keep your cars yellow regs and just drive through... Seen many fellas do it, just use a bit of black tape to change a 0 to a 8 and such.... Good if the resession kicks in full swing.... Just dont be caught or the garda will eat you like mary harney does Hse executives...



and for those who are interested...


the speed required to beat the camera ??


160 ish....



So...


All you boy racers are f****

Matt Simis

I signed up on the Toll Tag.ie site and they only ask for the first reg when ordering multiple tags. I took this to mean the tags arent tied to the number plates as I paid for 2 tags but only supplied one Reg number which I presumed is for their records?

L1011

Would suspect thats a cock-up on their part- give them a shout on Monday.

Matt Simis

MYOB wrote: »

Would suspect thats a cock-up on their part- give them a shout on Monday.

Their site specifically says "enter first reg number only" when specifying multiple tags!

cormie

saw tags on sale today for etoll.ie I think it was, in Tesco. I checked the site and it's not up yet though. Anyone know their deal? Tag is €29.99 I think

G-Money

So when are they actually starting to take the existing toll plaza away? It must be sometime soon seeing they are advertising the free flow tolling to be available from the end of the month....

Our man in Havana

30th August they will start removing the structures.

G-Money

I see. I thought the tolls would be completely removed by then, didn't realise they'd only start removing the existing structure on the 30th. I guess their line about being able to drive through at normal motorway speeds from then isn't totally correct. Or maybe they just mean normal M50 motorway speed - 5 kph