[PR] Dublin Port Tunnel - Toll Charges & Appointment of Operator

Victor · 14-04-2006 1:42am #1

http://www.nra.ie/News/PressReleases/htmltext,2132,en.html

Dublin Port Tunnel - Toll Charges & Appointment of Operator
11th April, 2006

Toll Charges:

The National Roads Authority (NRA) published today (Tuesday 11th April) details of the finally approved toll rates for the Dublin Port Tunnel project.
Following an Oral Hearing in January 2006, the Board of the NRA adopted the published toll scheme for the Dublin Port Tunnel with a modification to reduce the night-time toll rates from €6 to €3 between the hours of 10pm and 6.00 am.

The proposed revised toll charges (in August 2005 prices) are set out below:
Class of 	Direction	Day of 	Time 		Proposed New Toll * 
Vehicle  	of Travel	Week	Period
Cars & light  	Southbound	Mon-Fri	6am-10am 			&#8364;12 
commercial 
vehicles

Cars & light  	Southbound	Mon-Fri	10am-10pm  			&#8364;6
commercial 
vehicles

Cars & light   	Northbound	Mon-Fri	4pm-7pm  			&#8364;12
commercial 
vehicles

Cars & light   	Northbound	Mon-Fri	6am-4pm & 7pm-10pm 		&#8364;6
commercial 
vehicles
 
Cars & light   	North-&		Sat-Sun	All times other than 10pm-6am 	 &#8364;6
commercial 	Southbound
vehicles
 
Cars & light   	North-&		All	10pm to 6am			&#8364;3
commercial 	Southbound
vehicles
* The estimated toll charges are inclusive of VAT (if applicable).
Notes: (a) Southbound is the direction from Santry to Dublin Port. (b) Northbound is the direction from Dublin Port to Santry.

The toll charges have been set at a level appropriate to limit the potential for traffic congestion to occur within the tunnel in accordance with safe tunnel operating practice and with the recent EU Directive on tunnel safety.

Tunnel Operator Announced

The NRA also announced the appointment of Transroute International, following an international tender competition, to manage and operate the Dublin Port Tunnel for the first five years of operation. Transroute International is a French company, part of Groupe Egis which operates in more than 80 countries worldwide. Transroute operate road tunnels in France, Australia, Greece, Philippines and several other countries worldwide. Their contract with the NRA is on a service fee basis with the toll revenue collected at the tunnel plaza being remitted to the NRA.

For further information please contact the NRA Press Office 01 6658761

drdre · 14-04-2006 1:44am

RIP OFF is all i will say.

bryanw · 14-04-2006 7:02am

The port tunnel isn't intended for car use...they don't want it blocked up with traffic. It's supposed to be a fast route for HGVs to the port. If you want to use the tunnel, you'll have to pay the price.

Hagar · 14-04-2006 7:09am

If the tunnel isn't intended for car use just ban cars from using it.
However to allow cars to use it on payment of an exoribitant charge is extortion.

It's either for cars or it isn't.

Bill McH · 14-04-2006 11:57am

Well that's a bit of good news. Nighttime it'll be for me.

I'd love to see it but I'm not going to fork out 12 euros for the privilege. I could live with 3 for one trip through it.

It's a pity that the port tunnel website never seems to be accessible. They could have used it to post photos and stuff about progress in the tunnel, and maybe generated a bit of goodwill towards the project, a la the websites for the new Wembley stadium or Emirates stadium in the UK.

Maskhadov · 14-04-2006 11:58am

Question :

Will Bus Eireann be allowed to use the tunnel ?

I think all buses from bus Aras should avail of it.

murphaph · 14-04-2006 12:47pm

Cars should be free at night. Some pedestrian/cyclist will be killed sometime in Raheny/Marino/Santry/Whitehall by a car that would have opted for the tunnel if it had been free.

Anyway, why aren't cars just banned during the day? The ordinary taxpayer built the tunnel and I'm not looking for cars to be allowed into i but why should the wealthy fat cats be able to use a tunnel we all contributed towards by paying a toll? (12 quid is nothing to wealthy fat cats but the billion the tunnel cost didn't all come from heir pockets-we all paid for it).

I reckon anyone with a ferry ticket should have free passage to the port at least all day everyday. The ferry companies could issue a voucher when you book your ticket with them.

mackerski · 14-04-2006 1:04pm

murphaph wrote:

why should the wealthy fat cats be able to use a tunnel we all contributed towards by paying a toll?

Because it will help pay back some of your tax money that the state used to build the tunnel. It can then be used for some other worthy project. Seems OK to me.

I agree with your idea about free transit for ferry passengers, though.

Dermot

BendiBus · 14-04-2006 1:14pm

mackerski wrote:

Because it will help pay back some of your tax money that the state used to build the tunnel. It can then be used for some other worthy project. Seems OK to me

I like that argument.

I too like the idea of free access for ferry passengers.

murphaph · 14-04-2006 1:15pm

mackerski wrote:

Because it will help pay back some of your tax money that the state used to build the tunnel. It can then be used for some other worthy project. Seems OK to me.

I'd a rush of socialist blood to the head there Dermot-visions of poor suckers stuck in traffic while fat cats fly into the tunnel we all paid for. You're probably right though

BendiBus · 14-04-2006 1:57pm

I also think there should be a special surcharge for Michael O'Leary and he should have to pay online in advance and arrive at the tunnel 40 minutes before using it or get turned back.

Unless he's carrying a fare of course

John R · 14-04-2006 3:48pm

Maskhadov wrote:

Question :

Will Bus Eireann be allowed to use the tunnel ?

Yes.

NRA wrote:

From: http://www.nra.ie/PublicPrivatePartnership/TollingDocumentation/file,1763,en.pdf

“SCHEDULE C
Classes of Vehicles and Road Users Exempt from Tolls
(1) Goods vehicles with a design gross vehicle weight exceeding 3,500 kilograms.
(2) Ambulances and fire brigade vehicles.
(3) Vehicles used by members of the Garda Siochana or the Defence Forces in the
performance of their duties as such members.
(4) Dublin City Council vehicles used in the performance of the functions and
duties of the Council.
(5) Vehicles used by the contractor appointed to operate the Dublin Port Tunnel in
the performance of its duties in relation to the Proposed Road.
(6) Buses or coaches with seating for greater than 25 passengers where such bus or
coach is a “public service vehicle” within the definition contained in section 3
of the Road Traffic Act, 1961.
(7) Specially adapted vehicles driven by disabled persons.
The term “goods vehicle” shall be taken to mean a mechanically propelled vehicle
constructed or adapted primarily for the conveyance of goods or burden of any
description.”

Maskhadov wrote:

I think all buses from bus Aras should avail of it.

They will be free to use it when they want. Apart from N1 services and N2, N3 at peak times it would be a slower route than current ones.

morlan · 16-04-2006 1:30am

Does this mean there will be buses from the Airport to town via the tunnel? Does Dublin Bus have any plans?

John R · 16-04-2006 2:05am

There is no set route for the express Airport buses, at the moment they use the M1, Old Airport Road and Ballymun Road depending on traffic conditions. Aircoach do the same.

It is unlikely that the 747 and Aircoach (O'connell St-Airport) will use the tunnel, it would take too long to get to it from Parnell Square but the 748 (Heuston-BusAras-Airport) may well use it as the current routes can be pretty slow.

Hagar · 16-04-2006 9:55am

If the buses use the tunnel does that mean an end to picking up people at bustops along the way?
Good move, pesky customers only slow down the buses anyway.:rolleyes:

BuffyBot · 16-04-2006 10:28am

If the buses use the tunnel does that mean an end to picking up people at bustops along the way?
Good move, pesky customers only slow down the buses anyway.

The 747/748 only pick up in town, not at intervening bus-stops.

sharkman · 16-04-2006 10:44am

bryanw wrote:

The port tunnel isn't intended for car use...they don't want it blocked up with traffic. It's supposed to be a fast route for HGVs to the port. If you want to use the tunnel, you'll have to pay the price.

FFS , you sound like that gimp in charge of the project that was on radio , "We are not here to fix Dublins traffic problems , we are here to take trucks out of Dublin " .

Its a roadway , and as such should be for road going traffic ...ALL road going traffic ..

Its a waste of taxpayers money . The trucks going southbound wont use it , the M50 is going to come to a standstill and traffic is going to be forced back through the city center ....

Hagar · 16-04-2006 11:02am

BuffyBot wrote:

The 747/748 only pick up in town, not at intervening bus-stops.

My mistake.

aliveandkicking · 16-04-2006 3:48pm

sharkman wrote:

The trucks going southbound wont use it

Really? Where will they go then? Suppose they can sprout wings and fly out of Dublin Port eh

According to the Indo on Tuesday the route south via the East Link and Sean Moore Road will be banned aswell.

sharkman · 17-04-2006 7:45am

aliveandkicking wrote:

Really? Where will they go then? Suppose they can sprout wings and fly out of Dublin Port eh

According to the Indo on Tuesday the route south via the East Link and Sean Moore Road will be banned aswell.

They can ban trucks all they like , But if you are a haulier and have the choice of a fine and getting to your destination on time or taking the port tunnel , sitting on the M50 for 3 hours and paying the toll, missing delivery times and upsetting schedules ...Which one would you take ???

I've got relatives in the haulage business and there are quite a few companies factoring the fines into their plans ...

Victor · 17-04-2006 8:13am

See map here:

http://www.dublincity.ie/living_in_the_city/getting_around/by_car/traffic_management/development_of_draft_hgv_management_strategy.asp

There are very few ways out of the port

Southside:
Sean Moore Road.

Northside:
North Wall Quay
Sheriff Street (not that they obey the curent 7.5t limit)
West Road (via residential streets)
East Wall Road
Alfie Byrne Road

Port Tunnel

It won't take a whole lot to put cameras on them

markpb · 18-04-2006 9:30am

sharkman wrote:

They can ban trucks all they like , But if you are a haulier and have the choice of a fine and getting to your destination on time or taking the port tunnel , sitting on the M50 for 3 hours and paying the toll, missing delivery times and upsetting schedules ...Which one would you take ???

Place gardai at the port exit routes for a few weeks. If they see a lorry trying to avoid the tunnel, stop them, question them, fine them and delay them lots. If the driver is a repeat offender, revoke their license. If the haulage company are repeat offenders, revoke their license to transport. It's not hard to enforce these things if the will is there.

Ste.phen · 18-04-2006 4:21pm

markpb wrote:

Place gardai at the port exit routes for a few weeks. If they see a lorry trying to avoid the tunnel, stop them, question them, fine them and delay them lots.

I always thought this would be a great way to stop people using bus lanes / jumping across junctions when they're clearly going to be stuck in a yellow box and hold the whole thing up.
Just stop them & make them stay there 15 mins, no paperwork, no fine, no mess, but they'll think twice before doing it again.

Victor · 18-04-2006 7:30pm

I'm sure Amnesty International will love the concept of arbitary dentention.

The trick is to make them go around again, i.e. obey the legal order of an officer.

[PR] Dublin Port Tunnel - Toll Charges & Appointment of Operator

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