The M50 Barrier Free Tolling Thread

needhelpguy

Guys need some advice here.

I was charged 2.50 for a journey on the M50 on the 11th March that I did not make. I haven't been near the M50 in months. I only discovered it now on my account. I have the DD set up so the money is already taken.

What should I do? I'd like that money back. Should I bother ringing them up? Can I ask for video evidence that that was my car? Will I actually ever see that money again?

Alun

needhelpguy wrote: »

Guys need some advice here.

I was charged 2.50 for a journey on the M50 on the 11th March that I did not make. I haven't been near the M50 in months. I only discovered it now on my account. I have the DD set up so the money is already taken.

What should I do? I'd like that money back. Should I bother ringing them up? Can I ask for video evidence that that was my car? Will I actually ever see that money again?

I have a video account and had the same thing happen to me. Rang them up, and queried it (along with another where I'd been charged the commercial vehicle rate for some strange reason), and it was sorted out. Took a while for the credit to appear on the account, but it did work out OK in the end.

niceirishfella

needhelpguy wrote: »

Guys need some advice here.

I was charged 2.50 for a journey on the M50 on the 11th March that I did not make. I haven't been near the M50 in months. I only discovered it now on my account. I have the DD set up so the money is already taken.

What should I do? I'd like that money back. Should I bother ringing them up? Can I ask for video evidence that that was my car? Will I actually ever see that money again?

Send a snorter of a fax immediately and demand the money back - and take it from there.

thebman

the_syco wrote: »

Both me and the little sister got fined within a day of each other a few weeks back. Both of us rang up and got the charge revoked. Her ankle is broken, and the car was sitting in the driveway for the previous month, and I've never been on the M50, so meh. When I rang, I was told that the "8" may have been a "6"... you have to wonder about their machines AI, sometimes.

lol a 0 might have been more likely.

Some cars have screw half way down the zero and from a distance it can look like an 8. This shouldn't be allowed IMO.

doolox

The NCT are also looking for perfect plates.
I had to get new ones for my Jurassic Toyota Corrolla which has pounded the roads of Ireland since ancient times and will continue to do so for a lot longer. Global recession no job ..............
At least the plates didn't cost much from the local motor factor who is good at these things.
Ireland isnt the worst for tolls as France and Eastern Europe have ones many times dearer than ours.
Have to admit the article who got 600 million for a 60 million bridge really shafted the government and us.
Public/private partnership is really like the lamb sitting down with the lion, the lamb gets eaten.
What the government should make more use of is their awesome tax and legislative powers compared with the private sector but they won't.
Too afraid to get done by a constitutional action or something else.
With the global recession we can say goodbye to further road improvements and new cars for the next 5 years.

Tata Nano anyone?

jor el

towger wrote: »

Ouch ... sounds painful :rolleyes:

Very

I can't be bothered any more anyway. Everything else works fine for me, except the Eflop website, so I'm not too pushed about looking into it. I might try a muddy number plate the next time I'm in Dublin.

The didn't waste any time sending me the 6 euro bill though, I got it Wednesday. Paid and receipt printed.

boarddotie

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2009/0325/1224243363207.html

Finally, they admit to what we all have been saying for months.
An absolute disgrace.

niceirishfella

boarddotie wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2009/0325/1224243363207.html

Finally, they admit to what we all have been saying for months.
An absolute disgrace.

Shower of useless ****.

Davy

niceirishfella wrote: »

Shower of useless ****.

L1011

Just wondering why my toll tag account hasn't been hit in some time.

I've crossed the M50 about ten times since January. I've been charged...



ONCE!

I have a tag, its fully operational.

Steve

MYOB wrote: »

Just wondering why my toll tag account hasn't been hit in some time.

I've crossed the M50 about ten times since January. I've been charged...



ONCE!

I have a tag, its fully operational.

Cos you have the wrong Fiat badge on the front - it comes up as invalid on the system!

/kidding

Someone else is most likely getting charged for it.

L1011

Steve wrote: »

Cos you have the wrong Fiat badge on the front - it comes up as invalid on the system!

/kidding

Someone else is most likely getting charged for it.

It worked once, recently at that:

2009/03/22 11:40:03
(removed tag number)
M50 North
M50 NORTH1
CLASS 2 (Car)
€2.00



But other than that, no such luck for eFlow...

Our man in Havana

Well I haven't had a statement in 6 months from etrip.

Seth Brundle

@MYOB - you haven't been charged because the system is so flawed!
Most likely some blind granny in Donegal, who has no car, is getting legal threats from Kerry over non payment by now!

L1011

kbannon wrote: »

@MYOB - you haven't been charged because the system is so flawed!
Most likely some blind granny in Donegal, who has no car, is getting legal threats from Kerry over non payment by now!

If she once owned 88-DL-WXYZ rather than my 08-D-6WXYZ thats very likely!

Bond-007 wrote: »

Well I haven't had a statement in 6 months from etrip.

Mine went from paper to electronic then magically stopped coming, but I've a login for the website.

I've gone even further back and they've charged me from two trips since OCTOBER!

jenzz

Ok does anyone know what happens next ??

I have a/c with a tag. I got my solicitors letter for trips made yet I have a tag. They were very helpful but I then got a call from eFlow saying it was an error. I requested that in writing still waiting though..........

So the fact they are now issuing summons will I end up in court ???? I hope I do TBH......... anyone wanna come for the craic??????

Seth Brundle

What happens next is that you bin the letter and ignore it. They can't and won't do anything against you.
However, should a summons somehow arrive (bearing in mind that (Bond will confirm) they can't issue a summons and that they have a habit of getting people's address wrong), I would like to come along for the craic.
It could be a Boards.ie motors meet

L1011

I notice EazyPass and eTrip's systems are now merged together as "EasyTrip", and they're STILL not billing me.

If they ever do bill me after the fact its gonna be a painful hit as I must have done 30 round trips at this stage...

jenzz

On 6th March I got my solicitors letters. So I emailed eflow after another 27 minutes of taking double dutch on the phone. This morning I got an email back ( 33 days later) apologies for not replying within 48 hours & can I resubmit my mail as they couldnt open the attachement. Now it was a word attachment so we are not talking rocket science here. So I replied & what do I get back............... sorry you cant send your complaint this way you have to do it another way on the web site. So I resent on the web site. What do I get back.... Sorry we cannot open attachements FULL STOP.! So I have typed the whole bloody thing back out & resent.........

1st prize for incompetency - EFLOW!!!!!!
I wonder since they are a government body did they issue themselves bonus's???????????

jenzz

kbannon wrote: »

What happens next is that you bin the letter and ignore it. They can't and won't do anything against you.
However, should a summons somehow arrive (bearing in mind that (Bond will confirm) they can't issue a summons and that they have a habit of getting people's address wrong), I would like to come along for the craic.
It could be a Boards.ie motors meet

Im actually p-ing myself laughing at the thought of mise & 2500 onlookers arriving for the "craic."

Whole bloody point is I have a tag & an account & I pay it & & & & its just total incompetency here........ & a waste of tax payers euros & to bomb the m50 would be a bigger saving than that budget thing yesterday.... It must be costing a mint at this stage to keep sending letters....

Charlie-Bravo

jaysus, there's pages and pages of stuff here...

anyways, just thinking of getting a motorbike to reduce running costs and save on commute times...question is, does the M50 camera system pick up motorcycles? I'm thinking no, cause the cameras face the front of the bike. Is there a charge Class (cars I see from this thread are Class 2) for motorcycles also?

Seth Brundle

astrofluff wrote: »

jaysus, there's pages and pages of stuff here...

anyways, just thinking of getting a motorbike to reduce running costs and save on commute times...question is, does the M50 camera system pick up motorcycles? I'm thinking no, cause the cameras face the front of the bike. Is there a charge Class (cars I see from this thread are Class 2) for motorcycles also?

Bikes are free but given the numerous cock ups, expect several non payment notices and subsequent threatening letters from the solicitors in Kerry!

Charlie-Bravo

without going too much off topic, what legislation allows for bikes not to have a number plate at the front?

I understand the practicality problem of not having a number plate on the front of the motorcycle, so the question begs, does the law say that all vehicles must have a number plate on the front and the back except for motorcycles???

Sizzler

Apparently they are bringing some people to court :rolleyes:

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/courts/summons-in-the-post-for-m50-toll-rebels-1697193.html

wrote:

The first judgments against M50 toll rebels, following the introduction of the controversial barrier-free system, are to be registered shortly.

The National Roads Authority (NRA) said today civil summonses are to be issued "in the next week or so" against motorists who have failed to pay the toll.

The summonses are issued in cases where drivers ignore a warning from enforcement agents Pearse & Fitzgibbon to pay the monies owed, including penalties.

An NRA spokesman said Pearse & Fitzgibbon had already sent out a raft of these warning notices, leading to the vast majority of outstanding bills being settled.


CREDIT

However, civil summonses are on the way out to people who still have failed to comply.

The process involves a decree for the amount owed being issued by the Courts Service, which could result in the debt being registered against the individual and may impact on their credit record.

It does not involve court appearances by offenders.

"The vast majority of the Pearse & Fitzgibbon letters are responded to. There is not a high expectation that there will be a lot of civil summonses but there will be some.

"Once the [warning] letters arrive, the issue is resolved -- the tolls are paid for or there is an amicable agreement but there are civil summonses on the way out to people," the NRA spokesman said.

While he could not specify the exact amount of summonses, he said there are "not huge numbers".

Pearse & Fitzgibbon also provides prosecution and debt recovery services to the Revenue Commissioners, ESB and Bord Gais.

Under the Roads Act 2007, evading a toll is a criminal offence, with guilty parties liable to pay a fine of up to €5,000 and/or a jail term of up to six months.

However, the legislation allows for unpaid tolls to be recovered from motorists as a civil debt. This latter route is the one being pursued by the NRA.

Barrier-free tolling was introduced on the M50 in August last year amid controversy after it coincided with hikes in the motorway fees.

In the early days, the system experienced many teething problems with up to 10,000 vehicles a day being misread.

The figure amounted to about 10pc of all traffic that passed over the West-Link Bridge where the video tolling technology is located.

In the first week of operation of the new system, as many as 20,000 vehicles a day were misread.

The errors were caused by the technology failing to read or misreading toll tags, not reading car registration plates and errors in matching number plates with tag holders.

My own experience with eflop of late was I used the M50 a few times over Xmas and Jan and paid the €3 online, sometimes within the 48 hours sometimes not. They sent a phone book quantity of paper to me over the course of 3 months and a fortnight ago I got a letter from them saying "We apologise for the error etc etc and have cancelled all charges". What a farce!

Our man in Havana

Again the propaganda is wrong. :mad:

The first judgments against M50 toll rebels, following the introduction of the controversial barrier-free system, are to be registered shortly.

You can't register a judgement until there has been a trial and the defendant has lost the case.
The hearld don't seem to realise the legal process must be followed.

It does not involve court appearances by offenders.

Really? So now the NRA will ride rough shod over the constitutional rights of the accused?
The article implies that the defendants cannot appear in court to dispute the claims made by the NRA. That is blatantly untrue.

boarddotie

kbannon wrote: »

What happens next is that you bin the letter and ignore it. They can't and won't do anything against you.
However, should a summons somehow arrive (bearing in mind that (Bond will confirm) they can't issue a summons and that they have a habit of getting people's address wrong), I would like to come along for the craic.
It could be a Boards.ie motors meet

jenzz wrote: »

Im actually p-ing myself laughing at the thought of mise & 2500 onlookers arriving for the "craic."

Sizzler wrote: »

Apparently they are bringing some people to court :rolleyes:

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/courts/summons-in-the-post-for-m50-toll-rebels-1697193.html

I may be considered one of these rebels....so will you all please promise that if I am one of those brought in front of a judge that you will all be there to support me?!

eire1

Got charged today for a journey when I wasn't even on the M50, I went throught the toll for the 1st time last week. I'd say I'll be waiting a while for a letter of reply. I've no account and my letter was sent on 9/4/09 and I only got it today. It's weird that when you dispute on eflow it didn't ask for any contact details.

xzanti

I went through the M50 on the 21st of March and went to pay in the Maxol in Clane the 23rd. Guy in the shop charges me €3 but tells me I will probably still receive a letter as 2 days have lapsed since my journey, but to 'ignore' it.. So about 2 weeks later I got said letter, and as per shop guys advice.. I ignored it..

Today I get a letter in the post telling me I owe them €57 so I rang them up and told the girl when and where I made my payment and she tells me that, yes payment was indeed made, but that because it was paid 2 days late, there was still another 3 quid to be paid.. So I told her what the guy in the shop said and she tells me that's "nothing to do with them" and that she doesn't know why he told me that..

The only way I was able to avoid paying the €57 was to create an account with them I hardly ever use the M50 and she assured me that there's no monthly fee, it's just pay as you go so I begrudgingly agreed.. I told her they should call that Maxol place and ask why they are telling customers to 'ignore' the letters.. and she just said because they are a seperate company there's nothing she can do..

I'm gona go in there next time I'm down with my letter and ask for his manager.. I don't care if I look like a total b1tch.. I'm still fuming over this.. Why wasn't I just charged €6 at the time????? Something's not working as it should..

Rant over..

Phew.

cormie

He was probably trying to save you money, if you see him, have a word with him to let him know what happened but don't go and get him sacked when he's just trying to be helpful

*becky*

eire1 wrote: »

Got charged today for a journey when I wasn't even on the M50, I went throught the toll for the 1st time last week. I'd say I'll be waiting a while for a letter of reply. I've no account and my letter was sent on 9/4/09 and I only got it today. It's weird that when you dispute on eflow it didn't ask for any contact details.

Thats because they have your address which they get from the nvdf data base.