Northern Ireland

Toll costs on main route from north to Dublin to rise from July 1

The M1 toll plaza at Balgeen in Co Meath is used by drivers travelling between the north and Dublin. Picture by Fran Caffrey/Newsfile.ie
The M1 toll plaza at Balgeen in Co Meath is used by drivers travelling between the north and Dublin. Picture by Fran Caffrey/Newsfile.ie The M1 toll plaza at Balgeen in Co Meath is used by drivers travelling between the north and Dublin. Picture by Fran Caffrey/Newsfile.ie

Prices to use the toll road on the main route from the north to Dublin are to rise from next month as toll costs increase across the Republic.

Cars and motorcycles using the stretch of toll road on the M1 north of Dublin at Balgeen, Co Meath, will be charged 10c more from July 1, while drivers of four-axle vehicles will be required to pay 50c more per journey.

The increase comes as a six-month deferral on the charges by the Irish government comes to an end.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) said the change is a standard regulated toll in line with inflationary increases.

All tolls on the Republic's national road network are regulated through the consumer price index and cannot go above inflation.

The M1 toll road is used by drivers from the north heading to Dublin Airport and cars and motorcycles will be charged €2.10 and €1.10 respectively.

The toll road on the M3 from Clonee in Co Meath to Kells - a popular route for those travelling from Co Fermanagh towards Dublin - will also see an increase of 10c for cars, but no price rise for motorcycles.

Among other toll increases to take effect will be on the M50 in Dublin, with cars not registered with an eFlow account for reduced rates being required to pay €3.50 - a rise of 30c. Those with an eFlow tag will be charged an extra 10c.

The Dublin Port Tunnel - which will see no toll increase - and the M50 are operated directly on behalf of the TII, while the remaining eight routes in the toll network across the south are operated under a private ownership model.

A spokesperson for the TII said: "Toll revenue is used for purposes including motorway maintenance, toll collection and operations, and for the maintenance of the wider national road network."