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[Article]Motorists face new charges as number of toll roads to double

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  • 18-04-2011 8:30am
    #1
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,854 ✭✭✭


    despite the snazzy headline, its a proposal for changes rather than concrete government decision already made.
    By Paul Melia
    Monday April 18 2011
    THE number of tolled roads across the country will be doubled under plans that recommend new charges on eight routes.

    Motorists pay some €184m a year to use existing tolled roads, but now they face the prospect of paying a raft of new charges.

    A major study from the National Roads Authority (NRA) says the Exchequer could take in another €62m a year under its plans.

    It suggests doubling the number of tolled roads, with new charges recommended on eight routes across the State.

    They are the Dundalk bypass, the N20 at Croom in Co Limerick, the N20 at Mallow in Co Cork, the N18 Ennis bypass, the N9 Carlow bypass and the Jack Lynch Tunnel in Cork. Other roads that could be tolled in future include the N17/18 Tuam bypass and N11 Arklow bypass.

    The NRA also says motorists should be charged based on the amount of motorway they use. It says so-called multi-point tolling should be introduced on motorways including the M50, where the road would be divided into sections, and a charge applied to each portion used during a journey.

    The Government's Smarter Travel policy wants an extra 500,000 people to use public transport, walk or cycle to work by 2020, to help reduce car commuting. It also calls for the number of car trips per year not to increase beyond current levels up to 2020.

    "Capacity of the national road network remains under significant pressure in the fringes of major urban areas, where local trips comprise a significant proportion of the volume of traffic carried," the National Roads Traffic Management Study says. <snip>
    Full article : http://www.independent.ie/national-news/motorists-face-new-charges-as-number-of-toll-roads-to-double-2622183.html
    Tagged:


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Comments

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    #2
    Absurdum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,445 ✭✭✭Absurdum


    I suppose the NRA have nothing better to be doing these days anyway.


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    #3
    wildefalcon
    Registered Users Posts: 928 ✭✭✭wildefalcon


    Pay up folks!

    Gotta keep the Bankers in their jobs.


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    #4
    Ludo
    Registered Users Posts: 5,015 ✭✭✭Ludo


    the N20 at Croom in Co Limerick, the N20 at Mallow in Co Cork, the N18 Ennis bypass, the N9 Carlow bypass and the Jack Lynch Tunnel in Cork.

    So potentially 4 tolls when driving from Cork to Shannon which I do every fortnight (if you avoid cork city center madness by using tunnel).

    1. Lee Tunnel
    2. Mallow
    3. Croom
    4. Shannon Tunnel

    The cork - limerick road is the worst road between cities in the country and they are suggesting 4 tolls??? WTF.


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    #5
    Mitch Connor
    Registered Users Posts: 45,242 ✭✭✭✭Mitch Connor


    So, we paid for the building of the roads with taxes, and now they are going to charge us to use them? Crooks, absolute crooks.


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    #6
    jhegarty
    Registered Users Posts: 6,438 ✭✭✭jhegarty


    munchkin_utd wrote: »
    They are the Dundalk bypass, the N20 at Croom in Co Limerick, the N20 at Mallow in Co Cork, the N18 Ennis bypass, the N9 Carlow bypass and the Jack Lynch Tunnel in Cork. Other roads that could be tolled in future include the N17/18 Tuam bypass and N11 Arklow bypass.

    The NRA also says motorists should be charged based on the amount of motorway they use.

    Amount of motorway ?

    All look like N roads to me.


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    #7
    Flyer1
    Registered Users Posts: 664 ✭✭✭Flyer1


    And I pay €600 a year in road tax for just what ?


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    #8
    Soarer
    Registered Users Posts: 8,865 ✭✭✭Soarer


    Can't see how they can toll the tunnel. The place is jammers at rush hour at the best of times...regularly back beyond the Mahon exit.

    If they decided to toll it, it'd kill it stone dead.


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    #9
    AugustusMinimus
    Registered Users Posts: 4,547 ✭✭✭AugustusMinimus


    Soarer wrote: »
    Can't see how they can toll the tunnel. The place is jammers at rush hour at the best of times...regularly back beyond the Mahon exit.

    If they decided to toll it, it'd kill it stone dead.

    Can they toll it considering it was partly financed using EU structural funds ?

    There'll be riots in Cork city if they try to toll it. Imagine the city centre traffic ?


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    #10
    vectra
    Registered Users Posts: 15,513 ✭✭✭✭vectra


    PMSL..
    I can just imagine the mayhem at the Jack Lynch tunnel every morning ..Traffic will be backlogged to the Toll bridge on the Fermoy bypass :D


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    #11
    MidlandsM
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 5,737 ✭✭✭MidlandsM


    AugustusMinimus wrote: »
    Can they toll it considering it was partly financed using EU structural funds ?

    There'll be riots in Cork city if they try to toll it. Imagine the city centre traffic ?

    No there won't be riots. The irish don't riot. Recent tolerence in Society of the last gov illustrated that.


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    #12
    Wolverine_1999
    Registered Users Posts: 1,013 ✭✭✭Wolverine_1999


    Ok, this has got to stop now. For the future of Irish motoring someone has to put their foot down now.

    I will be leaving the country - I'm just worrying about who's left.

    If this multipoint Motorway charging comes into play - the motorways will be empty.


    Just to add, this coming probably from the thinking people in Dublin who see a massive gap out in the west of untolled roads. These roads, they have to remember, being the only form of a reliable mode of transport seeing we have no decent public transport infrastructure. Sure, you have the Dart and the Luas and God know's what up there, and you can see "taking the car" as a priviledge for a majority of people. However, in the rest of the country a car is a necessity, not a luxury.


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    #13
    gbee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,388 ✭✭✭gbee


    Ludo wrote: »
    So potentially 4 tolls when driving from Cork to Shannon which I do every fortnight (if you avoid cork city center madness by using tunnel).

    The tunnel has already lost its effectiveness, except for off peak times which are getting narrower and narrower.

    The tunnel is a longer journey, which should be offset by both quicker travelling times and a more constant speed allowing a saving in diesel or petrol. Unfortunately, delays of hours are commonplace which negates any and all benefits of the tunnel when the vast majority of traffic want to benefit from it.

    I routinely dismiss the tunnel opting for the shorter journey and more direct route. City traffic tends to move along better in the busy times with a few well known exceptions.


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    #14
    gbee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,388 ✭✭✭gbee


    Wolverine_1999 wrote: »
    If this multipoint Motorway charging comes into play - the motorways will be empty.

    They should be empty already, unfortunately there is a significant minority in this country who are not and will never be effected by any recession or depression [which I think we are in actually].

    We need to find a way to make these people value their money because they will pay the new tolls with relish and think it worth it to have the roads to themselves.


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    #15
    leeroybrown
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,563 ✭✭✭leeroybrown


    gbee wrote: »
    They should be empty already, unfortunately there is a significant minority in this country who are not and will never be effected by any recession or depression [which I think we are in actually].

    We need to find a way to make these people value their money because they will pay the new tolls with relish and think it worth it to have the roads to themselves.
    WTF? For the majority of the country that are fortunately still in employment life continues as normal. Sure people earn less, get taxed more and can afford less luxury but being worse off and likely in negative equity doesn't suddenly mean that you no longer have to travel to Dublin, Cork, Galway, etc. You make it sound like people are driving around in Gold plated Rolls Royces just because they go to visit family, friends, etc. Get some perspective...


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    #16
    Hogzy
    Registered Users Posts: 7,544 ✭✭✭Hogzy


    They wont be allowed toll any road that received EU funding. Its why the Jack Lynch Tunnel and the Watergrasshill bypass was not tolled in the first place.

    TBH that article above is a load of crap. None of that will ever exist.
    I love how they blame it on the traffic volumes and not the fact that the government is squeezing everyone again.


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    #17
    Padraig Mor
    Registered Users Posts: 9,544 ✭✭✭Padraig Mor


    I believe that the NRA have received advice that they can toll the Jack Lynch tunnel under the guise of paying for its maintenance and a supposed new interchange to replace the roundabout, and that this avoids the "built with EU funding" problem. Collecting the toll would not be a problem - they can just use camera gantries rather than toll booths. As a twice daily tunnel user this would hit me big time - maybe I should reconsider paying my €1300 "road" tax (yes, I know!)?

    As for tolling the N20 at Mallow - whatever about tolling motorways, tunnels etc, tolling a ****ing boreen?!


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    #18
    Hogzy
    Registered Users Posts: 7,544 ✭✭✭Hogzy


    Padraig Mor wrote: »
    I believe that the NRA have received advice that they can toll the Jack Lynch tunnel under the guise of paying for its maintenance and a supposed new interchange to replace the roundabout, and that this avoids the "built with EU funding" problem.

    Given the amount of public anger this will create I am positive they would be taken to the ECJ for not complying with the terms of the funding. If they collect a toll for the purpose of rebuilding Dunkettle then the Commission will ensure the collected money is used for that purpose.
    Otherwise its a breach of EU law simple as.


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    #19
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    Flyer1 wrote: »
    And I pay €600 a year in road tax for just what ?

    This is why I laugh when people throw the "pendantic" arguement around when someone points out its called "motor tax" not "road tax".

    https://www.motortax.ie/OMT/welcome.do;jsessionid=0aa0114730d789844872d682458a9f25b392e59fefbd.e38PaNaSbh0RaO0TaO0

    Nowhere does it say its "road tax" or that it's ringfenced for roads. It goes to the general coffers to be spent on all the things local governments have to pay for, not just (but including) roads.



    Anyway, isnt this basically the same story put out last year and much moaned about by people on here who, despite not reading it , told us we'd be paying tolls on every strech of the M50 and plenty of other roads aroudn the country within months? In fact it seems all they did was change the year in it from 2010 to 2011.


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    #20
    Ardennes1944
    Registered Users Posts: 9,238 ✭✭✭Ardennes1944


    this is a minor point but something that came into my head. for the likes of mahon cinema. usually i would go there instead of douglas cinema which is closer as it has a better selection and is nicer all round. but if it means i have to pay a toll to go there then im gonna pick douglas everytime.thats just one example of a store missing out


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    #21
    Lord Nikon
    Registered Users Posts: 3,609 ✭✭✭Lord Nikon


    Flyer1 wrote: »
    And I pay €600 a year in road tax for just what ?

    You pay €600 a year for MotorTax, which allows you to drive you car legally on Irish roads.


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    #22
    Ludo
    Registered Users Posts: 5,015 ✭✭✭Ludo


    Deutschlandfürimmer7 wrote: »
    this is a minor point but something that came into my head. for the likes of mahon cinema. usually i would go there instead of douglas cinema which is closer as it has a better selection and is nicer all round. but if it means i have to pay a toll to go there then im gonna pick douglas everytime.thats just one example of a store missing out

    They are both on same side of the tunnel...what difference would a toll on the tunnel make to this?


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    #23
    Lord Nikon
    Registered Users Posts: 3,609 ✭✭✭Lord Nikon


    Deutschlandfürimmer7 wrote: »
    this is a minor point but something that came into my head. for the likes of mahon cinema. usually i would go there instead of douglas cinema which is closer as it has a better selection and is nicer all round. but if it means i have to pay a toll to go there then im gonna pick douglas everytime.thats just one example of a store missing out

    Yeah, I can see your dilemma. Oh poor you have to go to a different cinema.


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    #24
    leeroybrown
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,563 ✭✭✭leeroybrown


    Guy:Incognito wrote: »
    Nowhere does it say its "road tax" or that it's ringfenced for roads. It goes to the general coffers to be spent on all the things local governments have to pay for, not just (but including) roads.
    "Motor Tax" is actually paid directly into the Local Government Fund and is ring fenced for use by the local authorities on local expenditure. One of its direct purposes is spending on local and regional roads that are under the control of the local authorities.


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    #25
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    leeroybrown wrote: »
    "Motor Tax" is actually paid directly into the Local Government Fund and is ring fenced for use by the local authorities on local expenditure. One of its direct purposes is spending on local and regional roads that are under the control of the local authorities.

    I might be missing it but is that not pretty much exactly what I said?


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    #26
    leeroybrown
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,563 ✭✭✭leeroybrown


    Flyer1 wrote: »
    And I pay €600 a year in road tax for just what ?
    You pay €600/year for two things:

    1) To allow you to drive legally. They can tax pretty much anything after all if suitable penalties are in place.

    2) Your €600 goes straight into the Local Government Fund and effectively becomes available for expenditure (on local issues including roads) in your local authority area. This fund is topped up from the general taxation pool every year so don't be surprised if you see an increase in tax.


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    #27
    leeroybrown
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,563 ✭✭✭leeroybrown


    Guy:Incognito wrote: »
    I might be missing it but is that not pretty much exactly what I said?
    Sorry Guy:Incognito - I mis-read your post. Need coffee...


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    #28
    Hogzy
    Registered Users Posts: 7,544 ✭✭✭Hogzy


    neuromancer wrote: »
    Yeah, I can see your dilemma. Oh poor you have to go to a different cinema.

    Thats not the point he is making. Mahon point get a hell of a lot of business from the 'North Side' of Cork that come via the tunnel. Most of that business will be lost if the punters have to pay a toll going and coming back. It could nearly double the price of a cinema trip. Therefore they will loose business and jobs will most certainly be lost. Especially in the Cinema.

    How could you not understand that from the outset?:rolleyes:


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    #29
    AugustusMinimus
    Registered Users Posts: 4,547 ✭✭✭AugustusMinimus


    Conor Faughnan on Newstalk right now rubbishing the whole plan.

    Raising 62m on this is just nutty. What a waste of time. 1c on a litre of petrol would probably raise that much.


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    #30
    highlydebased
    Registered Users Posts: 7,466 ✭✭✭highlydebased


    A toll at Croom? You've got to be kidding me. That road is a joke!


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    #31
    superflyninja
    Registered Users Posts: 1,859 ✭✭✭superflyninja


    AugustusMinimus wrote: »
    Conor Faughnan on Newstalk right now rubbishing the whole plan.

    Raising 62m on this is just nutty. What a waste of time. 1c on a litre of petrol would probably raise that much.
    JEzus dont give them that idea. Its already gone up 2c over the wkend.any higher and my car wont be getting out very much


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