Do you use an electronic toll tag?

Amtmann

I recently got an EasyTrip tag, plus I'm registered with eFlow with a video account to avail of the slightly cheaper toll rate resulting from that (50c per trip).

If you do use a tag, which one? Do you use the express lane at all times, or do you use your tag at other lanes from time to time?

Can you see more and more motorists switching over to the tag system in the months and years ahead, or do you think the majority will stick with coins?

KevR

Don't have one at the moment because I don't pass through toll sections regularly enough to justify getting a tag. Will definitely get one in the future if I find myself using toll sections more often (looking for a job at the moment so there is a good chance that I will have to relocate).

LeinsterDub

Don't regularly use tolled roads but I'd use the m50 about 6-10 times a year and it soon became appartent it was cheaper to pay the 1 Euro flat free a month than the penalties for forgetting to pay the toll .

KevR

I think that if/when I do buy a tag that I will buy it outright (think it's €30ish) rather than pay the €1 per month rental fee. Good long term investment I think.

K.Flyer

I have an EasyPass tag
Depending on how busy I am, I could easy clock up 20 + tolls in a month, I use whichever lane has less traffic, but if all lanes are empty I will use an attended one just in case the tag does not read.

KevR wrote: »

I think that if/when I do buy a tag that I will buy it outright (think it's €30ish) rather than pay the €1 per month rental fee. Good long term investment I think.

What guarantee do you get with the Tag if you buy outright? I presume a year. So if your tag stops working after 18 months do you have to buy a new one? I only ask because over the last 4 years I have had to change my tag twice. Called in, swapped them over, no charge, no fuss. 30euro = 2.5 years rental, on that basis I think I would stick to renting.

Amtmann

K.Flyer wrote: »

I have an EasyPass tag
Depending on how busy I am, I could easy clock up 20 + tolls in a month, I use whichever lane has less traffic, but if all lanes are empty I will use an attended one just in case the tag does not read.

Does that happen often? Mine worked fine at the Portlaoise and Fermoy express lanes yesterday...which was a relief as I wasn't sure I had positioned it correctly on my windscreen.

K.Flyer

Furet wrote: »

Does that happen often? Mine worked fine at the Portlaoise and Fermoy express lanes yesterday...which was a relief as I wasn't sure I had positioned it correctly on my windscreen.

It has happened to me on several occassions, a few times I have had to remove the tag and hand it in for it to be read manually(M1 and East link Bridge) and the M50 did not read it four times. Though all seems to be ok now with the last tag I got from them. (which is in the same position as the old one)

gryff

Furet wrote: »

Does that happen often? Mine worked fine at the Portlaoise and Fermoy express lanes yesterday...which was a relief as I wasn't sure I had positioned it correctly on my windscreen.

I have the direct route tag - works fine now. It was missed on the M50 on the way to Dublin Airport - I didnt realise it made a small clicking noise as you pass the electronic toll - so I didnt know that it hadnt been picked up. Eflow sent me a bill - when I called them and gave them my tag details they said that was fine - until a few days later I got a 2nd larger bill from them - I called them again and the 2nd time it was sorted - not very professional really. Another occassion last winter I was queing through the express lane on the M8 at Fermoy in heavy rain and it was hard to know who was getting the green light as there were 3 or 4 cars going through.. as I went past the green light went red but because I was sure my tag had been picked up I kept driving and the barrier slapped off my windscreen... I pulled in (which was very dodgy in darkness and p*****g rain) and called them on the phone - but no-one answered and there was no message system - so I drove off..

Amtmann

gryff wrote: »

Another occassion last winter I was queing through the express lane on the M8 at Fermoy in heavy rain and it was hard to know who was getting the green light as there were 3 or 4 cars going through.. as I went past the green light went red but because I was sure my tag had been picked up I kept driving and the barrier slapped off my windscreen... I pulled in (which was very dodgy in darkness and p*****g rain) and called them on the phone - but no-one answered and there was no message system - so I drove off..

That was a bit confusing for me yesterday alright. It wasn't clear to me who had the green light as there were three cars in front of me at the express lane on the M7/M8 southbound. I pressed on regardless, albeit at about 50 km/h.

Joey Joe-Joe Jr

Furet wrote: »

Does that happen often? Mine worked fine at the Portlaoise and Fermoy express lanes yesterday...which was a relief as I wasn't sure I had positioned it correctly on my windscreen.

I got a new EasyTrip tag about 2 months ago. I have it positioned in the top -center of the windscreen, just behind the rear view mirror. In that time I've been through the following tolls (approximate times):

M1 Drogheda: 8 times
M1 Port Tunnel: 2
M3 Clonee: 4
M3 Navan: 4
M4 Enfield: 8
M6 Ballinasloe: 4
M7/8 Port Laoise: 2
M8 Fermoy: 2
M25 Waterford: 4
M50 Westlink: 30
Eastlink: 2

Almost always use the Express Lane - Happy to say I've not had a single case of the tag not reading in that time.

knipex

I have a toll tag from tolltag.ie

have used it on all the toll plazas regularly and no issues......

Express lane alone makes it worth while.

medoc

I have a tolltag toll tag and have used it many times on all Toll Plazas except Limerick tunnel and Eastlink. Will be using it in the next few weeks at Limerick but cant see me ever using the eastlink bridge. Worked every time and I usually go through the express lanes. The only exception is Fermoy M8 where the express lane never worked and I always had to divert to another gate. No problem at the regular gates so now I just head straight for them. I'm charged 10% extra (I think its 10) for each transaction but have no monthly charge. I could go months without ever needing it so this was the perfect option for me. I also use Parkmagic a few times a year at the airport and this is one the one account so I can keep track of everything online.

L1011

You'll want to get rid of that eflow video registration now, as you could easily end up getting charged twice - 2 on the tag, 2.50 on the video!

seawolf145

Furet wrote: »

I recently got an EasyTrip tag, plus I'm registered with eFlow with a video account to avail of the slightly cheaper toll rate resulting from that (50c per trip).

If you do use a tag, which one? Do you use the express lane at all times, or do you use your tag at other lanes from time to time?

Can you see more and more motorists switching over to the tag system in the months and years ahead, or do you think the majority will stick with coins?

How many tags is it out there?
I thought you could only get one?

TimberMerchant

bought the eflow tag and think its a great job, always use the express lane but went through the limerick tunnel last fri/sat and both times express lane not in use.

Orchard Rebel

Switched to an e-flow tag as I go up and down to Cork a lot. Much less hassle....

KevR

K.Flyer wrote: »

What guarantee do you get with the Tag if you buy outright? I presume a year. So if your tag stops working after 18 months do you have to buy a new one? I only ask because over the last 4 years I have had to change my tag twice. Called in, swapped them over, no charge, no fuss. 30euro = 2.5 years rental, on that basis I think I would stick to renting.

That's a really good point, I had never even thought of that. I sort of presumed that nothing much could really go wrong with them and they would last for years.

zagmund

I'm afraid I have to admit to getting a little confused and confuddled when the whole tag thing came out. The pricing structures just seemed so convoluted I couldn't follow it at all.

In general I might have used the West Link maybe 2 or 3 times a year and the East Link 5-10 times a year. Other tolls would depend on where we headed with the campervan. Maybe another 5-10 in a year.

I reckoned paying cash was easier - I didn't fancy paying some non-NRA organisation a monthly rental for the occasional time I might use a toll facility so I just didn't buy any of them.

The net result of this is that since they took down the barriers on the M50 at the West Link I haven't used that bridge - I'm terrified of passing through, forgetting to dot some i, cross some t, log in and create an account somewhere, or rotate 3 times anti-clockwise or whatever the current set of conditions are so I just don't use it. Plus the M50 is historically blocked any time I go near any part of it. Instead I route in through town, Phoenix Park and out through Castleknock like my parents did in the old days and don't pay any charges. Works for me.

z

K.Flyer

I have a tag simply because I do a lot of travelling around Dublin and beyond and I would forget to pay the toll the next day if it was left to me. I generally make good use of the m50, port tunnel and east link if I'm in a hurry to get somewhere.

G_R

zagmund wrote: »

The net result of this is that since they took down the barriers on the M50 at the West Link I haven't used that bridge - I'm terrified of passing through, forgetting to dot some i, cross some t, log in and create an account somewhere, or rotate 3 times anti-clockwise or whatever the current set of conditions are so I just don't use it. Plus the M50 is historically blocked any time I go near any part of it. Instead I route in through town, Phoenix Park and out through Castleknock like my parents did in the old days and don't pay any charges. Works for me.

z

TBH, there really is no point doing that. The M50 is very rarely blocked these days, the only places that have congestion is some of the off ramps, and its only really the ones who haven't been upgraded yet. As for paying the toll, if you haven't registered with eFlow online (which there really is no reason not to, no monthly charge or anything) then all you have to do is drive through it like normal, then by 8pm the following day, pull into any one of the thousands of PayZone outlets around the country and give them your reg and €3 and the toll is paid. It is really very simple.


To get back on topic, I use the eflow tag. Have used it on the M50, M1 and M7/M8. Always express lanes, never once had a problem. As others have said, the €1 a month is worth it for the express lane facility alone

slinky2000

I've an e-flow tag and I've no problems with it. fantastic job! Wish I had got it earlier!

dubhthach

I've had a tag now for over 2 years (well or since they were launched). It's now Easytrip, but I gotten in when they had a different name (Easytag?)

Anyways I use it twice a day crossing the East-Link bridge and whenever I go down to see the family in Galway. If there is an express lane that's open I tend to use it.

livlondon

My mates mother in law lives up the North and flys through the express lane without paying etc.. She says it's fine because her car is a northern reg but surely all of these times she passes through it's logged and she will be picked up for it sometime in the future or her car impounded?

knipex

livlondon wrote: »

My mates mother in law lives up the North and flys through the express lane without paying etc.. She says it's fine because her car is a northern reg but surely all of these times she passes through it's logged and she will be picked up for it sometime in the future or her car impounded?

The express lane has a barrier that opens after reading the tag. She cannot just "fly" through....

I suspect she is talking about the M50 and yes she can be chased for the fee.

Colm R

I got an easyflow tag as I l use the M50 maybe 4 to 8 times a month going home to Cork.

As far the express lanes on other toll bridges, I don't understand why there is a barrier at all. Could they not put the same system in place as for the M50 where you pass through. If you don't have a tag, then you just get fined.

To be honest, over the next few years I see the regular toll bridges becoming redundant anyway.

Jayuu

I'm with EasyTrip and have no problems with them. About the only thing I don't like about it is that the EasyTrip tag doesn't make any noise at the M50 when you go through so you just have to assume that its being read.

When the M50 went barrier free I was regularly getting notices about not paying my toll as I was using it quite a lot at that stage. I would have to go to their website to cancel the notifications. They said it was where my tag was placed but I pointed out that nobody else was having a problem with my tag. I don't know what happened but after a couple of months I suddenly stopped getting notifications and the charges were going through fine.

Bar some difficulties on the Suir Bridge a couple of days after it opened, I've never had an issue with any of the barrier or express lanes or been overcharged on any of the other toll areas and I've used all of them at this stage (with the exception of the Limerick Tunnel).

Because I use the M50 quite a lot it does work out cheaper to have the tag and pay the lower toll and I do find the express lanes very handy to use.

Joey Joe-Joe Jr

Jayuu wrote: »

I'm with EasyTrip and have no problems with them. About the only thing I don't like about it is that the EasyTrip tag doesn't make any noise at the M50 when you go through so you just have to assume that its being read.

If you get one of the newer tags it does "beep" as you go through. Get in touch with EasyTrip and find out the procedure, I think it does involve sending them back your existing tag before they send out the new one but it should come back within a few days!

Poster King

I have a question. I currently pay cash but think it is time to get a tag as I use the Dublin Galway regularly.
I drive a commercial LWB Land Cruiser. I sometimes use the lane with a human being because the windsurfing gear on the roof makes me too high for the lane with the basket, and I often get away with just paying the car rate if I smile nicely at the person.
If I use the unattended lane and If I drive up at the right speed, the censors sometimes don't pick up that I am a commercial and again I sometimes just get charged the car rate of €2.90 instead of commercial €4.30.
If I get a tag, will I always get charged the higher rate?
Can I swop the tag over to my girlfriends car or it it tied to a particular registration?

Poster King

Also, does anyone know why the M4 Kilcock Toll is so much more expensive than all other toll roads in the state. Most are €1.80 or €1.90 for a car. This one is €2.90.
It isn't any longer than the others and there are no major bridges etc.

knipex

Poster King wrote: »

I have a question. I currently pay cash but think it is time to get a tag as I use the Dublin Galway regularly.
I drive a commercial LWB Land Cruiser. I sometimes use the lane with a human being because the windsurfing gear on the roof makes me too high for the lane with the basket, and I often get away with just paying the car rate if I smile nicely at the person.
If I use the unattended lane and If I drive up at the right speed, the censors sometimes don't pick up that I am a commercial and again I sometimes just get charged the car rate of €2.90 instead of commercial €4.30.
If I get a tag, will I always get charged the higher rate?
Can I swop the tag over to my girlfriends car or it it tied to a particular registration?

You will pay correct rate (commercial)
Tag is tied to your car registration but you can change it (for example when changing your car). However its not feasible for short periods of time.

GeneHunt

Poster King wrote: »

Can I swop the tag over to my girlfriends car or it it tied to a particular registration?

You can swop the tag, however you can NOT use the M50 and possibly the M7/M8 Midlink with a swopped tag, as the tag is linked the vehicle's reg, so you will be charged twice (tag account and reg of vehicle your in at the time).

I use EasyTrip (used to be Easypass) for years (about 6 or 7 years). it's the same tag, I just moved it from the old car to new car and updated the reg online each time I buy a new car. I used to swop the tag to my girlfriend's car sometimes, but since the M50 changed to a barrier free system, I decided to get a tag for her car too. I got a eflow tag for her car - I must have it about 2 years now and I've had no problems with that tag too. The "beep" was a surprise to me at first as I didn't know what did it!:rolleyes:

I use the express lanes almost all the time. I have to say the express lanes on M4 enfield toll plaza are NOT very fast, you need to reduce the speed to about 50km or risk taking the barrier with you...:eek: The M3, M7/M8 Midlink and the M8 Fermoy are much better, one can travel at about 80km through the Plaza without a problem.

Both tags are located top center of windscreen behind rear view mirrors.

Has anyone got problems with toll tags with Renault vehicles as they have a special coating on there windscreens (for glare I think). I do know satnavs in Renaults have trouble location satellites sometimes.

lushballs

Can you buy a tag at Dublin airport for the M50 Toll?

Carawaystick

lushballs wrote: »

Can you buy a tag at Dublin airport for the M50 Toll?

no.
you may be able to pay for one of the tolls on the M50 at a shop in Dublin Airport.


I've an eflow tag and also a sanef tag for autoroutes, that costs me eur 2 a month that I use it and none the rest of the year, but I get to save several minutes at each turnpike using the express lane, and Mrs Carawaystick can sleep and not have to be minding tickets and paying tolls for me out her window. the holder is the same size as the eflow one.


The savings on the westlink justify me having an eflow tag, though I don't know if they'll start charging vat on the euro a month now or not.

Chris_5339762

Just ordered a Tolltag one. Figured the 10% account charge and the toll purchase thing wouldbe offset by the convenience of going through the express lanes.

Mint Sauce

dont have any tag at the mo, as dont live anywhere near a toll road, but was thinking of buying one to save any hassle on those infrequent trips were one might be encountered.

was looking at the tolltag, due to no monthly fee, just a 10% charge for each time passing through a toll.

have noticed that there are a couple of opitions. one where there is no top up ('pay as you go toll') and one where there is an initial €40 top up ('pay as you go toll+').

now would be looking at the first opition if i went for any, but i still cant find on the website how you pay for the 'pay as you go'. are you billed at the end of a billing cycle or can you just top up with the minimum amount (or more if you want) reqired to complete your planned journeys, also where and how, it also mentions you purchase the tag outright, but does say how much this costs.

1. Pay As You Toll.
This type of TollTag account is designed for very light use. There is no minimum balance, no obligation to topup (ever) and no monthly charge. When you use the tag, a usage charge of 10% of the toll passed applies, so for example on the M50 in a car, the toll for tag equipped vehicles is (as of 1/6/09) 2.00 and with the Pay As You Toll TollTag you will pay 2.20, a saving of 0.80 per trip on the toll for cars not equipped with a TollTag. When you select this tag type you purchase the tag outright.


2. Pay As You Toll. +
This type of TollTag account is designed for medium use. You will need to add 40.00 credit to your account to receive the tag, however the full 40.00 credit will remain on your account to be used for toll/parking payment and no monthly charge applies. This account type requires a minimum balance of 12.00 to be maintained (the minimum needed to pass through Irelands most expensive toll once) and once your account balance reaches this level (or below) it will automatically be replensihed by 20.00 from your chosen payment card. When you use the tag, a usage charge of 10% of the toll passed applies, so for example on the M50 in a car, the toll for tag equipped vehicles is (as of 1/6/09) 2.00 and with the Pay As You Toll + TollTag you will pay 2.20, a saving of 0.80 per trip on the toll for cars not equipped with a TollTag.

https://bookings.parkmagic.net/pmui/UI/controls.aspx

any answers appreciated.

Chris_5339762

Tolltag gives you €4.40 in your account when you start on Pay As You Toll. I went through the M50 toll the other day and that went to 2.20. Thats fine. But I got a text saying my account balance was low. If I go through another toll, that will go down obviously, but does it just take the amount from your credit card once it gets to 0 or will my nice new tag not work? Seems a bit unclear.

Mint Sauce

Did you pay the inital €40 top up or take the purchase opition

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Tolltag gives you €4.40 in your account when you start on Pay As You Toll. I went through the M50 toll the other day and that went to 2.20. Thats fine. But I got a text saying my account balance was low. If I go through another toll, that will go down obviously, but does it just take the amount from your credit card once it gets to 0 or will my nice new tag not work? Seems a bit unclear.

i understand that much, but just a few things no clear on the site. Cant see any difference between the 'pay as you go toll' and 'the pay as you go toll+', apart from the €40 intital top up and €12 minimum balance on the 'pay as you go toll+'. and the purchase tag outright on the 'pay as you go toll'

now (1) it does not say what this purchase cost is if any, and (2) since there is no obligation to top up on the first opition, i assume this means if no balance you have to pay at the desk on manned tolls (M4, porttunnel, eastlink etc) or pay online/phone/shop if using the M50 or are you billed.

Chris_5339762

I paid the €30 to purchase the tag and it says you dont need to topup. Its a bit of a farce. I selected autotopup just in case but nothing has happened.

Mint Sauce

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

I paid the €30 to purchase the tag and it says you dont need to topup. Its a bit of a farce. I selected autotopup just in case but nothing has happened.

it does seem a bit of one alright, was only considering tolltag as would never use the others enough to justify a monthly charge. looking at that purchase fee and for the amount of times i would use the tolls think i'll just do the video registration for the M50.

But thanks for your feedback and comments, appriciated.

Stuart74

I got an e-trip (now easytrip) tag a few years ago when the AA were doing a special members offer with them.

The tag cost €30 for a combined toll/parking tag and you got €27 free parking included in the price.

This tag at the time was the one that suited me best as it covered the city centre car parks in both Limerick and Dublin that I would use when parking in either city centre.

The only issue I have had with the tag has been with the Harvey's Quay car park in Limerick. Sometimes the tag reader in the left lane at the exit does not read the tag so I've found that the easiest work around is entering and leaving the car park in the right hand lane.

The tag beeps every time I pass under a reader be it in a car park or on a tolled road.

I have noticed the few times I used the Limerick tunnel that the express lane has always been closed going in either direction.

I would use the M7/M8 most weekends heading home to Limerick and have noticed a number of drivers move out into the passing lane of the motorway as they approach the toll plaza only to cut back in to get to the manned / basket lanes.

Has anyone noticed this happening on at the approach to any other toll plaza?

_Kaiser_

Stuart74 wrote: »

I got an e-trip (now easytrip) tag a few years ago when the AA were doing a special members offer with them.

I have the same one and the only times I've had a problem with it (twice) were at the M1 toll... works fine on the M50 and M3 and in the car parks in town that accept it.

Amtmann

Has anyone been experiencing problems at the M8 Fermoy Bypass express lane lately? The barrier is failing to lift for me of late.

tonc76

Furet wrote: »

Has anyone been experiencing problems at the M8 Fermoy Bypass express lane lately? The barrier is failing to lift for me of late.

While not on the M8 this happened to me a few times on the N25 Waterford Bypass. I realised that my approach speed to the first sensor that reads the tag was too quick and have found that at 50 km/h the barrier always rises. Funnily enough the speed limit is 50 km/h in advance of the barrier

Chris_5339762

I was on the Fermoy one yesterday and it only opened at the very last second. No BEEP either.

Out of interest, what happens if you come off at a slip road toll booth and then go back on again and have to pay at a mainline booth? Do you get charged twice through the tolltag, or is the system intelligent enough to only charge you once? Cos of course if you get a paper receipt at the sliproad booth you dont have to pay at the mainline booth if you go through within a certain time.

Amtmann

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

I was on the Fermoy one yesterday and it only opened at the very last second. No BEEP either.

Out of interest, what happens if you come off at a slip road toll booth and then go back on again and have to pay at a mainline booth? Do you get charged twice through the tolltag, or is the system intelligent enough to only charge you once? Cos of course if you get a paper receipt at the sliproad booth you dont have to pay at the mainline booth if you go through within a certain time.

No beep for me either. Funny thing is, I am getting a green light but then the barrier fails to lift. I rang DirectRoute and they say they are having problems at the moment on the M8, but they weren't more specific than that. About the billing, I don't know is my answer to that.

bacon&cabbage

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

I was on the Fermoy one yesterday and it only opened at the very last second. No BEEP either.

Same happened me. The beeps don't seem to matter for me, it seems to open when it pleases 1 beep, 2 beeps, no beep

spacetweek

I use Tolltag. I only had drama once where the tag failed to read 3 times over the course of a weekend (it normally works every time).

Contested the fines on the website. Didn't send in supporting docs as I didn't have any.

Got informed I'd now have to pay 50 quid fine per toll + admin fees = 156 quid

Since then I've always paid the toll at the next petrol station.

L1011

"supporting documentation" should be your tag number! Give that to them and tell them to PFO on the fines. Do NOT pay them!

spacetweek

MYOB wrote: »

"supporting documentation" should be your tag number! Give that to them and tell them to PFO on the fines. Do NOT pay them!

I paid them