The M50 Barrier Free Tolling Thread

ART6

luckat wrote: »

All right, I don't understand how we, as citizens, let the government allow us to be charged these fees.
.

We as citizens let the government do this because we complain about the excesses of the political class on AH instead of bombarding our TDs with letters and emails making it very plain that if these rip offs continue they will be on the dole queue come next election.:mad:

As an afterthought, I wonder if any of them subscribe to forums like this one? I don't remember ever seeing a post that sounded like it came from a TD or minister. Maybe if they tried it they might discover that they are not regarded as gods by the whole of the population?

OK, somewhat off thread. Apologies.

luckat

The politicians are probably sailing along the M50 rather than posting here - with their tolls paid by you.

Seth Brundle

luckat wrote: »

The politicians are probably sailing along the M50 rather than posting here - with their tolls paid by you.

There was a call recently for politicians to be able to use the M50 toll free because of their work! I can't recall which TD said it though!

cormie

kbannon wrote: »

There was a call recently for politicians to be able to use the M50 toll free because of their work! I can't recall which TD said it though!

Why do they need their cars for work?

Seth Brundle

cormie wrote: »

Why do they need their cars for work?

They don't but they do get travel allowances cover mileage, etc.

Silvera

The whole new 'toll free' set-up stinks of a total rip-off IMHO!
What the hell is the €12 "maintenance free" all about???

We should be able to buy a pre-paid tag (similar to pre-paid mobile phone credit) for a modest fee, e.g. €15-20 !


So basically those who wont have to pay toll fees are -

- Foreign reg cars
- Motorcyclists
- Un-registered cars (i.e. new cars with trade plates thrown on the dasboard, instead of being properly displayed in the front and rear windows, or hanging on the back (where there's no rear window in the vehicle))
- Fancy plates (i.e. non-standard script plates - as used by most boy-racers)
- Vintage Plates (i.e. will the cameras pick up silver-on-black vintage (i.e. non-reflective) plates at nightime?)

dubwex

If the cameras cant recognise your reg plates then you wont be billed.
Check out the product photo blocker, this may be an irish solution to an irish problem.

Seth Brundle

With ~50 cars using ANPR now it won't be long before you are caught and don't expect any sympathy either from the gardai or on here!

G-Money

Is there any word yet on an exact date when the existing toll plaza will be completely removed? I have started to have the feeling that the new system will be online in about two weeks (end of August) but that we will still have to come to a complete stop to go through the toll plaza as they haven't removed it yet.

Our man in Havana

The barriers will be lifted at midnight on the 30th August. I don't see why you will have to stop at the existing plaza after that.

luckat

I can't see any way to register my number plate on the NTR website. You can apply for a tag (and the privilege of 'renting' it, rather than buying it as a once-off), but where do you register your licence number?

Still a ripoff - where's Consumer Affairs in this?

cormie

Still don't know what the best of a bad bunch of deals is for me either. It's not very clear

luckat

Best bunch is not to use the motorway until the prices are sorted out; I'm also thinking of moving from Irish Broadband, since it's run by the same people.

penexpers

luckat wrote: »

Best bunch is not to use the motorway until the prices are sorted out; I'm also thinking of moving from Irish Broadband, since it's run by the same people.

No it's not.

ART6

luckat wrote: »

How many vehicles go through the barriers in a month? Not journeys, now, but individual vehicles, whose owners would each be paying this €12 per year fee? .

According to my sunday paper 90,000 vehicles a day use the bridge. Many of them will be commercials paying much higher tolls, but even if all were cars paying €2, that would amount to €180,000 a day or €65,700,000 a year assuming the same number every day. OK, so the traffic flow won't be the same every day for 365 days, but then the tolls won't all be €2. So the €65 m must be a low estimate and could end up being double that figure. For a bridge that cost €38 m 17 years ago and was earning similar incomes for all of that time, and then got bought with our money to the tune of €600 m, that bridge has and continues to be a nice earner for someone. Rip off Ireland at it's best -- and now it's the government that is part of the rip off.

luckat

Oh, sorry, thought NTR owned Irish Broadband - that's good for me, then, because I like Irish Broadband!

In relation to the prices, what I'm wondering is where this 'administration fee' for the tags came from - how on earth was it agreed to?

Surely there is *less* administration with electronic tagging!

dmca77

I went for the easy pass route.
I work in the motor industry and could have five different vehicles home that week.
Easy pass assure me that I can change my reg number by phone or my internet access.
I have tried this to date and it is possible.

As for the charges I think its a disgrace that the people from I reland has to pass this.
Two months ago I went through the easpass lane on the M50 in my mothers car (northern ireland reg) and my mum is still waiting for the charge. People I cant see this ever changing!!!!!

D

Terrlock

Is there anything that we can do about this ridiculous system and is being forced on us.


I don't know anyone who is for it. The government must be drugging our water supply to make us so accepting of taking all the crap they give us.

Toll charges go up so much every year and its going too get worse with this new system.

Can we all just get together and start standing up too these crowd off scammers.

L1011

luckat wrote: »

Oh, sorry, thought NTR owned Irish Broadband - that's good for me, then, because I like Irish Broadband!

They did - its now owned by Imagine.

LEIN

Have eazy pass my self and they charge €1:27 a month.

Got an email a month ago or so telling me i dont need to change tag company.

voxpop

Found TollTag.ie - they do a pay as you go tag. No monthly fee, but they charge 10% on top of your toll, so the m50 toll would be 2.20 each way. I only use the bridge maybe once or twice a month so seriously considering these guys. That 1 euro managment fee is bollox.

luckat

But you have to buy that tag for <ouch> €30.

LEIN

luckat wrote: »

But you have to buy that tag for <ouch> €30.

As far as i can remember i didnt have to pay for the eazy pass tag.

That might have changed by now though.

baldbear

"The NRA says that the transition will not be as smooth as people might expect.
It has also revealed that it is going to take more than two months to dismantle the existing toll plaza and that this will have an impact on traffic.


There is just ten days to go before barrier free tolling begins on the M50 on Saturday 30 August.
Today, the NRA has said there will be difficulties with the transition and that motorists will find the system difficult because of a lack of familiarity.
It also says the system is likely to read some number plates incorrectly and that it will not read some tags because they are mounted incorrectly in vehicles.
The NRA says that some of the improvements from barrier-free tolling will be visible after the toll plaza is removed, but that the full benefits will only be seen when the M50 upgrade in completed in 2010.
It says there will be some improvement to southbound traffic but that substantial queuing will continue for the northbound direction because of the ongoing upgrading works.
The authority has appealed for people to be patient and tolerant during the start up phase."

siralfalot

hmmmm... where do I order one of these??! :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJEe6M9PdqY

jgally

I'm either paying toll charges or for Moter tax - NOT BOTH :mad:

L1011

jgally wrote: »

I'm either paying toll charges or for Moter tax - NOT BOTH :mad:

So, presumably, you never used the Westlink before? Just don't use it still.

mik_da_man

From RTE today - No big suprise really but they admit that full benefits will only be seen when the M50 upgrade is completed in 2010!!!

The National Roads Authority admits there will be teething problems with the new barrier-free tolling system on Dublin's M50.

The NRA says that the transition will not be as smooth as people might expect.

It has also revealed that it is going to take more than two months to dismantle the existing toll plaza and that this will have an impact on traffic.

AdvertisementThere is just ten days to go before barrier free tolling begins on the M50 on Saturday 30 August.

Today, the NRA has said there will be difficulties with the transition and that motorists will find the system difficult because of a lack of familiarity.

It also says the system is likely to read some number plates incorrectly and that it will not read some tags because they are mounted incorrectly in vehicles.

The NRA says that some of the improvements from barrier-free tolling will be visible after the toll plaza is removed, but that the full benefits will only be seen when the M50 upgrade in completed in 2010.

It says there will be some improvement to southbound traffic but that substantial queuing will continue for the northbound direction because of the ongoing upgrading works.

The authority has appealed for people to be patient and tolerant during the start up phase.

Mik

TwoShedsJackson

It's common sense that it'll be worse in the short-term while they demolish the toll plaza. And sure 2010 is only 16 months away now

unkel

Merged mik_da_man's separate thread into the sticky