Ireland

Tolls on certain routes to increase by up to 60c for some vehicles

Toll revenue is used for motorway maintenance, toll collection and operations, and for the maintenance of the wider national road network (Brian Lawless/PA)
Toll revenue is used for motorway maintenance, toll collection and operations, and for the maintenance of the wider national road network (Brian Lawless/PA) Toll revenue is used for motorway maintenance, toll collection and operations, and for the maintenance of the wider national road network (Brian Lawless/PA)

Tolls on major routes around the country are to increase by up to 60 cent on July 1 as the Government’s six-month deferral of the increases 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 national road network are regulated through the consumer price index and cannot go above inflation.

There are 10 toll roads on the national road network – eight are operated under a public private partnership (PPP) model while the M50 and Dublin Port Tunnel are operated directly on behalf of TII.

The largest toll increases across the network are for heavy goods vehicles, four-axle trucks and articulated lorries, costing up to an additional 60 cent in some circumstances.

On the M50, the toll charge for a motor car which is not registered with an eFlow account for reduced rates will increase by 30 cent from 3.20 euro to 3.50 euro.

Motor cars with a tag will see the charge increase from 2.10 euro to 2.30 while the video charge will increase from 2.70 to 2.90.

At the highest end of the scale, the rate for goods vehicles exceeding 10,000kg and tractor units for articulated vehicles will also increase.

If these vehicles are tagged, the rate will increase by 50 cent to 5.90 euro while unregistered vehicles in this class will see an additional 60 cent charge up to 7.10 euro.

The video rate has increased to 6.50 euro.

The charge for motorcycles and cars on the M1, M7/M8, M8, N6, N25WF and N18-LT has increased by 10 cent to 1.10 euro and 2.10 euro respectively while four-axle vehicles see an increase of 50 cent to 6.80 euro.

There is no change for motorcycles on the M3 but motorcyclists will have to pay 20 cent more on the M4 for a total of 1.70 euro.

Car drivers will be asked to pay an additional 10 cent on the M3 and 20 cent on the M4.

The highest toll in the country will be 7.90 euro for four-axle vehicles on M4.

TII said toll revenue is used for motorway maintenance, toll collection and operations, and for the maintenance of the wider national road network.

It said a deferment of the toll increase on the M50 would have required funding to be reallocated from other national road projects and reduce funding for asset management and renewal activities.

There is no change to the toll on the Dublin Port Tunnel, which is intended to manage demand at peak times and ensure HGV movements to and from the port are not impeded with additional traffic and congestion.

TII said HGVs travel toll-free through the Dublin Port Tunnel, adding there is no current justification for raising the toll charges on non-HGVs, given the fact that the current arrangements are effective for managing demand.