Fermoy Bypass toll will rise to €1.90

Amtmann

It's been reported that there'll be a ten cent rise in January. I will continue to use the bypass (I travel it anywhere between 2 and 6 times per week), as it is quick and safe.

What I want to know is, does anyone know if hauliers continue to boycott the motorway in large numbers, taking the R639 instead? Is Fermoy still relatively busy from through traffic?

I have noticed an increase in traffic, especially trucks, on the bypass over the past few months; this is probably to do with fuel prices tumbling.

Also, do people think that more traffic will use the bypass once the Mitchelstown to Fermoy scheme opens next summer?

BluntGuy

Furet wrote: »

It's been reported that there'll be a ten cent rise in January. I will continue to use the bypass (I travel it anywhere between 2 and 6 times per week), as it is quick and safe.

What I want to know is, does anyone know if hauliers continue to boycott the motorway in large numbers, taking the R639 instead? Is Fermoy still relatively busy from through traffic?

I have noticed an increase in traffic, especially trucks, on the bypass over the past few months; this is probably to do with fuel prices tumbling.

Also, do people think that more traffic will use the bypass once the Mitchelstown to Fermoy scheme opens next summer?

First of all, no matter how minor it may be, I never look forward to a toll rise. They're just... annoying.

However, 1.90 is still a reasonable price to pay to use the road.

Also, yes I think it is likely that when the M-F scheme opens next year more people will use the Fermoy-Mitchelstown scheme. I mean... if you're travelling from Dublin, by the time you come to the Fermoy bypass (junction 14), you've travelled on over 100 km of M8 motorway, are you going to leave it just to save yourself a bit of cash? Maybe, but I'd say the temptation to do so will be far less than if you'd come of the motorway a good deal earlier (like you have to now obviously).

bill_ashmount

BluntGuy wrote: »

However, 1.90 is still a reasonable price to pay to use the road.

I wonder how much extra they make because they don't give out change?
I end up just throwing 2 euro in to the basket a lot of the time because i don't have the exact figure. My own fault, I know.

bk

bill_ashmount wrote: »

I wonder how much extra they make because they don't give out change?
I end up just throwing 2 euro in to the basket a lot of the time because i don't have the exact figure. My own fault, I know.

They should be forced to donate that to charity like Dublin Bus does.

D'Peoples Voice

Furet wrote: »

Also, do people think that more traffic will use the bypass once the Mitchelstown to Fermoy scheme opens next summer?

Well I burn EUR 60 of petrol driving from Dublin to Cork, return, in a 1.4 VW Bora,
so I certainly won't go out of my way just to avoid a EUR 3.80 return toll.

Ask yourself how much it is to stay here for a weekend, and divide it by the cost of the toll, I think you'll get your answer as to whether I'll avoid the toll or not!

1huge1

bk wrote: »

They should be forced to donate that to charity like Dublin Bus does.

Sadly you can't force a private company to give money to charity.

dowlingm

nobody forces such companies to give to FoFF either but they do... :rolleyes:

Colm R

1huge1 wrote: »

Sadly you can't force a private company to give money to charity.

I don't think DB give the money to charity. Was there something that stopped them from doing this.

L1011

Colm R wrote: »

I don't think DB give the money to charity. Was there something that stopped them from doing this.

They will honour any receipt, however old, but rather than leave all the cash dormant they give it to charity after some years:

http://www.dublinbus.ie/news_centre/latest_news.asp?action=view&news_id=603

bk

1huge1 wrote: »

Sadly you can't force a private company to give money to charity.

It would have been easy for the government to make it a requirement in the toll contract.

daithi_dearg

It may appear that I'm off my rocker but if I was to avoid paying the toll on the bypass of fermoy do you have directions or is that totally unfeasible. Would I be adding on a huge amount of time?

JHMEG

While somewhat related to the original thread, re-opening an old thread is frowned upon on boards, regardless of whether it's relevant or not! (something to do with wanting to maximise the number of threads on the site I think!)

Anyway, I don't think that avoiding the toll will add more than 15 mins max onto your journey.

L1011

daithi_dearg wrote: »

It may appear that I'm off my rocker but if I was to avoid paying the toll on the bypass of fermoy do you have directions or is that totally unfeasible. Would I be adding on a huge amount of time?

Depends on the state of Fermoy town centre traffic-wise. Theres been roadworks on and off there for a year at this stage, meaning its very poor at times.

AlekSmart

It would have been easy for the government to make it a requirement in the toll contract.

Very true bk,however thus far,in keeping with what is apparently official policy on "Open" Government,much of the contents of recently agreed PPP Toll "Facility" contracts are kept secret for reasons of "Commercial Sensitivity".

I think most reasonable persons will,by now,have deduced that that "Commercial Confidentiality" is only required to conceal semi-legimate financial arrangements which most likely are NOT in the greater Public Interest.

The next major example of this will be the imposition of Tolls on the "New" M3 Motorway linking the powerbase of Noel Dempsey with the Metropolis of Dublin.

The rancid stink from this particular PPP is only confirmed by Minister Dempsey`s very rapid invocation of the "Commercial Sensitivity" clause when folks sought information on exactly how much the State (ie:us) had guaranteed the Toll Franchisee shoud the agreed "projected traffic volumes" not materialize.

If enough drivers follow the "Ah sure it`s only €2 etc etc" line then Dempsey and his fellow travellers will be happy.

Amtmann

daithi_dearg wrote: »

It may appear that I'm off my rocker but if I was to avoid paying the toll on the bypass of fermoy do you have directions or is that totally unfeasible. Would I be adding on a huge amount of time?

I think you would be adding 10 to 20 minutes and unnecessary stress to your journey. If you do go through Fermoy, just follow the R639 for Rathcormac and Watergrasshill, and at Watergrasshill rejoin the M8.

corktina

on a long journey you would indeed be off your rocker to go through Fermoy...well worth a small fee to make a tedious journey shorter.

AlekSmart

While we`re on the subject of dodgy toll franchise deals it may be refreshing to know that we`re not alone out there....It appears that Fianna Fail has had a splinter group acitve in Spain of all places ......

http://in.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idINLDE63M11520100423

And particularly apposite to Noel Dempsey`s pet M3 Project is this little quote from the article..

The government is pinning its hopes on utilising private finance for the plan. But the contractors and banks the government needs for the programme are already nursing big potential losses on existing private schemes.

Four operational real toll roads - Radiales de Madrid, Cartagena-Vera, Madrid-Toledo and Eje Aeropuerto M-12 - are all experiencing 50% to 80% lower traffic than initially predicted. Industry sources attribute this in part to the existence of good alternative toll-free routes and the generally reduced traffic volumes, partly due to the financial crisis.

Banks have called on the government to find a solution to these four road projects,

Boys oh Boys,and all we get is oul flannel about "Commercially Sensitive Information"....:rolleyes:

"Ah lads,lads..c`mon now we can`t be lettin them know how much it`s goin to cost them....not before an election anyway !"