"barrier free" M50 toll an absolute money extortion scam

TheRiverman · 04-08-2017 11:05PM

JJGael wrote: »

Maybe a strong title for this post but I'm honestly appalled by this terrible system they have in place on the M50.

Now, I don't drive so I never paid much attention to this but recently a friend of mine who lives outside Dublin came visiting and then she found herself with 30 euro (yes, THIRTY) of charges + fines because we passed under the M50 "barrier-free" toll, as they call it.

She came visiting and we drove in the surrounding Dublin area. We went to Dundrum and ended up having to pay 15 euro in tolls just for that.

For her (and me) a "toll" is a gate where a person or machine asks for money so you can go through. Because we didn't see this, we assumed we skipped the tolls. INSTEAD, not only you have no idea you went through a toll, you also have to do research and find out how to pay it, otherwise they send a bill to your house which is DOUBLE the toll fee.

If we knew this is the way it worked we would have used different roads, spent the extra 10 minutes and avoided a 15€ charge.

Is it just me or does this sound like a complete ripoff, a sneaky way to extort money out of clueless visitors? Like, how is someone who doesn't frequently commute around the Dublin area know that there is such a thing and that you need to install an app to pay it? I'd say most people would only find out about it after they get home and have to pay doubled up fees, like my friend did.

Never thought to check details of the M50 before she left home.There are probably hundreds of shops around the country where you can pay the toll before you ever go through it.I live 120km approx from the M50 toll and there are three shops within 10km of me where I can prepay or pay within 24 hours of using it.This should be basic knowledge for every Irish driver as well as the online option.Even €3.10 one way adds up to a lot very quickly if you don't pay within the time.

hot buttered scones · 04-08-2017 11:09PM

I just passed through the toll a couple of hours ago and commented to my better half that the signs were impossible to miss. Neither of us could understand how people get caught with the fine. Not only are they huge and everywhere, but they are purple. I think they are the only purple road signs I have ever seen on the Irish road network. To me the colour makes them stand out so much you can't help but pay attention to them. Did I already mention that they're huge? How could you miss them??

uck51js9zml2yt · 04-08-2017 11:11PM

Had friends up from Kerry last week. Even they knew about the barrier free toll!
I know ..it was an incredible achievement considering where they're from:D

TheRiverman · 04-08-2017 11:22PM

cc wrote: »

While we're at it, that road tax is a joke

Motor tax.

Dial Hard · 04-08-2017 11:28PM

TheRiverman wrote:

Motor tax.

cc wrote:

While we're at it, that road tax is a joke

TheRiverman wrote:

Motor tax.

Whoosh!

Uncle Mclovin · 04-08-2017 11:34PM

Danna Cold Vermin wrote: »

Had friends up from Kerry last week. Even they knew about the barrier free toll!
I know ..it was an incredible achievement considering where they're from:D

Hilarious!

monument · 04-08-2017 11:49PM

There's at least a total of 6-7 signs pointing out that there's a toll and 2-3 of them warning to pay by 8pm.

The big purple toll signs are probably the most unusual motorway signs in the country. Missing it once, maybe. Missing it twice?

This thread is on borrowed time...

Del2005 · 04-08-2017 11:50PM

JJGael wrote: »

I was looking at directions on the map so definitely not looking at signs.

How did you know where you were on the map if you weren't looking at the signs?

Because your driving friend obviously wasn't looking at the signs and neither where you how did you find the much smaller signs for Dundrum?

Ash.J.Williams · 04-08-2017 11:51PM

JJGael wrote: »

Maybe a strong title for this post but I'm honestly appalled by this terrible system they have in place on the M50.

Now, I don't drive so I never paid much attention to this but recently a friend of mine who lives outside Dublin came visiting and then she found herself with 30 euro (yes, THIRTY) of charges + fines because we passed under the M50 "barrier-free" toll, as they call it.

She came visiting and we drove in the surrounding Dublin area. We went to Dundrum and ended up having to pay 15 euro in tolls just for that.

For her (and me) a "toll" is a gate where a person or machine asks for money so you can go through. Because we didn't see this, we assumed we skipped the tolls. INSTEAD, not only you have no idea you went through a toll, you also have to do research and find out how to pay it, otherwise they send a bill to your house which is DOUBLE the toll fee.

If we knew this is the way it worked we would have used different roads, spent the extra 10 minutes and avoided a 15€ charge.

Is it just me or does this sound like a complete ripoff, a sneaky way to extort money out of clueless visitors? Like, how is someone who doesn't frequently commute around the Dublin area know that there is such a thing and that you need to install an app to pay it? I'd say most people would only find out about it after they get home and have to pay doubled up fees, like my friend did.

Yes it's terrible but you need to look out the front windscreen when driving

CeilingFly · 04-08-2017 11:56PM

Were you in your bmw? (if I remember you didn't care whether it was a one series or five series) or was it the ford mustang which you wanted to import from Germany?

Only a couple of days ago you were married and reporting dodgy runners in leixlip - have you separated already and found yourself another partner?

To everyone else - don't feed the troll.

dixiefly · 05-08-2017 12:26AM

howiya wrote: »

There are signs warning about the toll prior to the last exit before the toll in both directions. To say you don't have a choice or chance to avoid the toll on the M50 is simply not true.

This is actually true and a very good point. I have noticed all around the country that there are notices in advance of the last exit BEFORE a toll that there is an upcoming toll. I always wondered if this was by original design or did someone take a case against the toll company or the state saying that they were not informed about a toll until it was too late.

05-08-2017 07:17AM

Just link your card to it and you'll never be late paying. Takes any journeys out monthly. Takes 2 mins to set up. Think it might be cheaper too that way.

Wanderer78 · 05-08-2017 07:25AM

Must cost a fortune to run the servers that keep a tab on unpaid tolls!

bmwguy · 05-08-2017 07:29AM

Don't forget your fuel costs and wear and tear on the car too. That was an expensive trip OP.

Yeah it's a bad system to be honest the way they can fine you so quickly. But it is what it is.

You should have seen the traffic at that toll before the barriers were removed. Holy Jaysus. And on every approach road to m50.

vicwatson · 05-08-2017 07:39AM

brownbinman wrote: »

why did you think they wouldn't charge us for it?

Who said I do?

Point is that the government should have built this vital infrastructure in the first place and not private enterprise

vicwatson · 05-08-2017 07:51AM

vicwatson wrote: »

We also paid €12,000,000.00 to NTR each year for 5 YEARS to put it into state ownership, and they still charge the motorist

brownbinman wrote: »

why did you think they wouldn't charge us for it?

Holy Sh1t, this is even worse than what I originally thought, we are still paying for it - €50,000,000.00 each year for 10 years, until 2020, this is unreal, altogether NTR will reap €1.15 BILLION.

Nobody should be paying this taxed road

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/private-firm-to-reap-115bn-bonanza-from-m50-toll-deal-26628381.html

Del2005 · 05-08-2017 12:56PM

vicwatson wrote: »

Holy Sh1t, this is even worse than what I originally thought, we are still paying for it - €50,000,000.00 each year for 10 years, until 2020, this is unreal, altogether NTR will reap €1.15 BILLION.

Nobody should be paying this taxed road

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/private-firm-to-reap-115bn-bonanza-from-m50-toll-deal-26628381.html

Don't forget that Dublin City Council recently acquired ownership of the East Link bridge and they have decided that rather than let us travel across for free that they'll keep the toll. So regardless of who owns the tolled infrastructure we will still be charged for using it.

At least the company that owned the M50 bridge used the cash to expand its business and look after our rubbish. If it had been the government we'd have nothing to show for it as it would have been squander in the mess that is our public services.

bucketybuck · 05-08-2017 01:06PM

OP couldn't spot the toll, everybody else couldn't spot the troll. Neither could see the clear and obvious signs.

05-08-2017 01:14PM

Del2005 wrote: »

If it had been the government we'd have nothing to show for it as it would have been squander in the mess that is our public services.

Yeah, why can't all those damn teachers, nurses and Gardai work on a voluntary basis, damned squanderers.

monument · 05-08-2017 02:15PM

Locked.

"barrier free" M50 toll an absolute money extortion scam

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