M50 toll location

filbert the fox

I'm sure the Government and the state agencies would, when asked about equality and fairness respond that they're all in favour of such a philosophy.

Well after what must be 25 years of paying tolls on the northside of the Liffey Valley on the M50, I contend that it's time to move the gantries to south of the on-ramp for the M4. (in the interest of fairness and justice don't you know).

I travel from the northside of Dublin to the Midlands and Galway and for that privilege one can incur 3 tolls. This includes the outrageous €2.90 on the M4 and the sum total for a return journey of approx.€14.

One way of reducing this and in the interest of fairness would for the next 25 years locate the gantries on the Southside.

endacl

The argument, of course, is that historically the toll was for the bridge, not the motorway...

Vicxas

endacl wrote: »

The argument, of course, is that historically the toll was for the bridge, not the motorway...

Thats what I've been told for years.

Jesus.

endacl wrote: »

The argument, of course, is that historically the toll was for the bridge, not the motorway...

Still, it was located on the north side of the bridge

ba_barabus

Jesus. wrote: »

Still, it was located on the north side of the bridge

It used to be on the bridge itself for fairness

MarkAnthony

Put an extra one on the South side and half the toll?

Speedwell

I drove to Dublin for the very first time on the 14th in the driving rain. I got lost and took the wrong exit, figured it out within a couple miles, turned around and went back and went on my way. I knew I was on a toll road, but there were no tollbooths to pay. I didn't see any signs explaining what I needed to do. Monday I received a letter asking for the tolls and extra fees... I had incurred one going and coming, eight minutes apart. When I called to ask WTF, the snippy clerk told me that they could forgive the extra fees "this time but we won't do it again". Well, OK, then, fine, I can't think of anything I need so badly on that side of Dublin that I need to pay more than six euro for the privilege of using the motorway to get there. In fact I am fed up with the "only in Dublin" mentality altogether.

mikeecho

Speedwell wrote: »

I drove to Dublin for the very first time on the 14th in the driving rain. I got lost and took the wrong exit, figured it out within a couple miles, turned around and went back and went on my way. I knew I was on a toll road, but there were no tollbooths to pay. I didn't see any signs explaining what I needed to do. Monday I received a letter asking for the tolls and extra fees... I had incurred one going and coming, eight minutes apart. When I called to ask WTF, the snippy clerk told me that they could forgive the extra fees "this time but we won't do it again". Well, OK, then, fine, I can't think of anything I need so badly on that side of Dublin that I need to pay more than six euro for the privilege of using the motorway to get there. In fact I am fed up with the "only in Dublin" mentality altogether.

How on earth did you miss the signs.

Speedwell

mikeecho wrote: »

How on earth did you miss the signs.

I saw the signs. I didn't see any place to pay. It was pouring rain and I had never been on the road before, so I didn't think it was the time to stop and catch up on my light reading. Besides, I had seen a similar sign earlier on where there were both tollbooths and a place for cars to drive through. Never been to Dublin before; in fact it was the first time I had ever driven on a toll road in Ireland before. I wonder how much revenue they get from these "fees and penalties" added to the original tolls.

coylemj

They should move that toll gantry down to the M6 somewhere between Moate and Kilbeggan. Them fecking culchees have been dodging that toll by sneaking off the M50 at the M4 exit for years, it's time they paid their fair share.

Cabaal

Speedwell wrote: »

I saw the signs. I didn't see any place to pay. It was pouring rain and I had never been on the road before, so I didn't think it was the time to stop and catch up on my light reading. Besides, I had seen a similar sign earlier on where there were both tollbooths and a place for cars to drive through. Never been to Dublin before; in fact it was the first time I had ever driven on a toll road in Ireland before. I wonder how much revenue they get from these "fees and penalties" added to the original tolls.

You pay over the phones, online, shops
Its barrier free tolling.

Speedwell

Cabaal wrote: »

You pay over the phones, online, shops
Its barrier free tolling.

Well, I know that now.

savagethegoat

well it's what the signs say basically.

shietpilot

I've been getting off before the toll on the N4 exit for a few years dodging the toll costs. Not worth paying it to save 10-15 minutes :pac:

Caliden

Speedwell wrote: »

I saw the signs. I didn't see any place to pay. It was pouring rain and I had never been on the road before, so I didn't think it was the time to stop and catch up on my light reading. Besides, I had seen a similar sign earlier on where there were both tollbooths and a place for cars to drive through. Never been to Dublin before; in fact it was the first time I had ever driven on a toll road in Ireland before. I wonder how much revenue they get from these "fees and penalties" added to the original tolls.

You saw them but did you actually read them? There must be at least 3 gantries and 3-4 signs explaining it...

You must not have been concentrating on the road that much

Dial Hard

shietpilot wrote: »

I've been getting off before the toll on the N4 exit for a few years dodging the toll costs. Not worth paying it to save 10-15 minutes :pac:

That depends on how highly (or otherwise) you value your time...

shietpilot

Dial Hard wrote: »

That depends on how highly (or otherwise) you value your time...

Much more fun to take a blast through some nice almost backroad style roads and hop back on after the N3 exit

Speedwell

Caliden wrote: »

You saw them but did you actually read them? There must be at least 3 gantries and 3-4 signs explaining it...

You must not have been concentrating on the road that much

Trying not to slide off the road, actually, given the weather at the time. I was headed for an important certification test that would have cost me 200 dollars (yes, they charge USD) if I was late. I thought the signs referred to something you signed up for in advance, and was looking for the tollbooths. Which weren't there. I'd never heard of the system you describe until I got the letter. You know, not everyone in the fricking world is from Dublin. Jesus, you're worse than New York City.

There is definitely a lot of presumed knowledge surrounding the toll. The signs are great and all, but you're flying past them at 100km/h, and trying to avoid smashing into another car. It's easy to know you've went through a toll, it's also easy to not know where to pay, and to completely forget about it a few mins later when real life comes back into play.


I'd be in favour of putting another toll on it more southerly, and halving the fees. I don't live in dublin, but it does seem like a bit of a random lottery as to where you're living, wether you'll be getting shafted or not. And you can't start pushing traffic back into the city either. Far too messy.

The only problem is this: Any change, and I mean any change, will result in it costing more. If they put another toll at the bottom and half the prices, then the prices won't be halved, they'll be €2.50 each or something. It'll cost more no matter what they do. They'd never, ever miss an opportunity to bend you over and lube you up.

And then the problem would be that if you wanted to circumvent the whole city/use the entire m50, the traffic inthe port tunnel would increase hugely.


Surely whatever bridge was being paid for must have been paid for by now?! Why not just scrap the toll? (i know it's making a lot of money, so it'll never be scrapped under any circumstances, but theoretically, if the bridge was paid for, why shouldn't the toll be gone?!)

Cordell

There is definitely a lot of presumed knowledge surrounding the toll

No, there isn't. Some years ago I arrived in Ireland to take away the jobs, first time in my life driving on the wrong side of the road on a hired car, and still I was able to figure it out that I need to go on eflow.ie to pay, by 8pm tomorrow.

Why not just scrap the toll?

Toll roads used mostly by commuters going to/from work to make money to pay taxes are indeed unfair. In my case I avoid Limerick tunnel, it only saves me 10 minutes a day and it was supposed to remove traffic from the city centre, so it should be free. They've made it free for a short while but only for HGVs, I suppose it was an experiment, but I don't know how this worked out for the tax man and for the city.

TallGlass

savagethegoat wrote: »

well it's what the signs say basically.

Wait. Hold on, are you allowed advertise on motorway signs like that? Payzone logos and all sorts.

shietpilot

TallGlass wrote: »

Wait. Hold on, are you allowed advertise on motorway signs like that? Payzone logos and all sorts.

Technically it's not on the motorway

savagethegoat

to be fair, the toll should be a small amount charged at every entry point, or at half a dozen points around the (part) circuit

ThisRegard

Best solution is for more gantries the length of the motorway and charge per distance, not to exceed the current toll.

shietpilot

ThisRegard wrote: »

Best solution is for more gantries the length of the motorway and charge per distance, not to exceed the current toll.

Good luck with that. It will cost lots of money to set it up and in the end they will make less money.

Jesus.

Speedwell wrote: »

I drove to Dublin for the very first time.

May I ask how old you are Sir?

mikeecho

ThisRegard wrote: »

Best solution is for more gantries the length of the motorway and charge per distance, not to exceed the current toll.

Some people can't manage a single toll point.

They would have a metal breakdown if there were multiple toll points.

Ie.
I took the wrong exit ramp, then rejoined.
Do I have to pay twice.


While we're at it, do away with green diesel, have a rebate system, and I'll fill up an extra tank for my home heating .

Jesus.

Cordell wrote: »

Toll roads used mostly by commuters going to/from work to make money to pay taxes are indeed unfair.

Pay Taxes? Are they not going into private coffers?

Fiskar

can you not see his handle, he was probably "Speeding " past the sign in total admiration of the quality roads in Dublin.

mikeecho

Fiskar wrote: »

can you not see his handle, he was probably "Speeding " past the sign in total admiration of the quality roads in Dublin.

Was in donegal last year.

The quality of main roads puts every other county council to shame.


Maybe the OP should go to donegal and enjoy the toll free roads there.

Del2005

savagethegoat wrote: »

to be fair, the toll should be a small amount charged at every entry point, or at half a dozen points around the (part) circuit

There should be no tolls on orbital roads. Putting more tolls on the safest road in Dublin would encourage motorists back onto suburban roads or back into the city centre where we really don't want traffic.