M50 Toll - why do we need tags when there are cameras?

The_Rev

I suppose it's a bit late now for most...

But why have we all gone out and purchased electronic tags for our car and setup an associated "account" with eflow and the likes?

Didn't our wonderful government invest millions in a high-tech camera system which catches and logs our vehicles as they pass the M50 toll point?

(We all get notices if we haven't got a tag and haven't paid!!)

It seems to me to be another money making scam for someone in power.
We don't need electronic tags to use the M50 Toll. The M50 knows when we've used it without them!

But it generates extra money for someone, so I guess we'll just have to keep purchasing them.

tulipi

You can choose to be recognised by our reg or by using a tag when using the toll. The better option for people that go through the toll frequently is the tag. Using the reg there is a direct debit done for each time you go through. With the tag you keep a certain amount of credit in your account that is updated when it drops below €30. At least that's what I thought when I looked into it.

cruizer101

You don't need one.

Are you forgetting about all the other toll's around the country, for which one of the tags is very handy.

Del2005

The tag is cheaper if you use the bridge often and as pointed out they can be used on all the other toll roads. Some tags can also be used in carparks.

ardmacha

Quite simply a tag has fewer errors than a camera, it is not affected by rain or snow, dirt on the road etc. Cars should just be fitted with an electronically readable numberplate (i.e. tag) , leaving the user to decide what accounting arrangements to make.

DublinDilbert

Clearly the op has no idea of the technology that is being used and associated costs.

The tags cost feck all to buy, I would guess about €5 max, and are much easier to read than pulling a reg from an image. Video images are much more expensive to process than a tag.

You need a camera system in place to catch those without a tag. Adding the tag reading to the system costs almost nothing.

How is having a tag a money making scam? How does the government make more money from me as I've a tag?

Also I need a tag to use the other tolls on the country, why should the m50 be any different??

Del2005

ardmacha wrote: »

Quite simply a tag has fewer errors than a camera, it is not affected by rain or snow, dirt on the road etc. Cars should just be fitted with an electronically readable numberplate (i.e. tag) , leaving the user to decide what accounting arrangements to make.

That's why I went with the video account.