Limerick tunnel toll rip-off

springwell7616

concussion wrote: »

No one in Ireland pays road tax.

Don't think so??? suggest you head over to: www.vrt.ie/roadtax.php
or www.forcourt.com/php/cartax.php

it's all in a name, but at the ned of the day you pay a tax for your car to be on the road, whether you want to call it a "car tax" or "road tax", it's the same thing!

jor el

springwell7616 wrote: »

it's all in a name, but at the ned of the day you pay a tax for your car to be on the road, whether you want to call it a "car tax" or "road tax", it's the same thing!

It isn't the same thing. Motor tax is a tax on owning a motor vehicle, it is not intended to be used for the upkeep or building of new roads. Sure, some of it may go there, but motor tax takings are not specifically earmarked by revenue to be used on roads alone.

The fact that the website you linked to calls it road tax is irrelevant, as according to their own disclaimer they have nothing to do with the government or revenue services.
Very Reasonable Transport has no affiliation with the Irish Government or Revenue Commissioners and is simply providing an information service.

rubensni

concussion wrote: »

There's no such thing as road tax.

concussion wrote: »

No one in Ireland pays road tax.

Correcting people for merely using a common name twice in the same thread is ludicrous IMHO. You know exactly what people are talking about when they refer to road tax, so why are you so hung up about the fact that many, if not the majority of people refer to it as such?

Here's an idea: Why not bring your campaign to educate the plain people of Ireland as to what to call this tax to the attention of the guy who actually sets it?

Brian Lenihan:

Vehicles coming under the scheme are also exempt from annual road tax.
In the year of purchase of a car a claimant receives benefits relating to the purchase of the car, fuel relief and road tax, in other years the benefits received are in respect of fuel and road tax.


http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2010-02-17.1370.0&s=%22road+tax%22#g1376.0.r

If you manage to stop the Minister for Finance calling it road tax then maybe there's hope for the rest of us. Until that time maybe you could be so kind as to let the rest of us away with our vernacular.

concussion

Sure, I'll stop as soon as idiots stop telling me to cycle somewhere else because I don't pay 'road' tax. You can always put me on your ignore list if you don't like me informing people that they pay motor tax.

phill106

Another mini rant. Coin only toll. No change. Fine. I have my exact change ready, in a little pile in centre console of car. Pull up, and toss it all it. 1.80...nothing happens...
Ahhhh it doesnt like 1 cents 2 cents and 5 cents. Lovely. Especially considering the only place this is mentioned is when you are at the toll. All previous signs just say change only.
Luckily I had more change in my pocket.
/ends rant

jor el

rubensni wrote: »

You know exactly what people are talking about when they refer to road tax, so why are you so hung up about the fact that many, if not the majority of people refer to it as such?

It would appear that the majority of people who refer to motor tax as road tax don't actually know what the difference is though, and the argument against tolls is that they already pay a tax for roads and therefore shouldn't have to pay tolls too. This is simply inaccurate, as nobody pays a tax on roads. Motor tax does not pay for road infrastructure and that's why tolls are here to stay.

rubensni wrote: »

If you manage to stop the Minister for Finance calling it road tax then maybe there's hope for the rest of us. Until that time maybe you could be so kind as to let the rest of us away with our vernacular.

What people call it is largely irrelevant, as explained above, but when people refer to it as road tax, they are perpetuating the false perception that the money is for the roads, which it is not. Correcting people on this simple fact is something that should be done. I don't understand why people can't grasp such a simple concept though.

Twin-go

They seem to be having major issues with Toll Tags.

Yesterday evening about 5.45 I was at the Clonmacken Toll plaza exiting onto the Clondell road. Only booth that was open was the manned booth. My tag did not work. I was asked to remove it from my car and hand it over. Then about 5 minutes later barrier opens and as my tag is been
handed back it beeps.

Now I can understand there been teething issues but having to wait for 5 minutes while they "process" my tag manually kind of defeats the need for the tunnel and the tag.

Not complaining too much though, Tolltag account has not been debeted since friday(I use tunnel twice per day):p.

I do wish they would hurry up and get the express lanes open. They are very handy.

Berty

Woah! Nearly crashed into the Toll Plaza tonight. I decided to head through the Tunnel from the Clonmacken area so the missus could get to see the Toll.

The wide truck lane / left lane was the only one open. It has two barriers and only one barrier was up. You can barely see the other barrier when you are approaching because your eyes are directed all over the place(don't hit curb, read lit up signs above you, figure out which lane is open etc etc).

Tag worked, no problems. It was manned.(well it was wommaned)

FYI New Tag Users!!

This happened to me on the M8 northbound earlier today. I mentioned before about sheep mentality at Toll Plazas with people following people into the Tag lane even though they have no tag.

There was a rep mobile booting along with a sh*t box car keeping pace with it. They both went into the toll lane but the sh*t box didn't have a tag so got all confused and braked hard. I was slowing down a fair bit back saying "oh here's another lost sheep". I went under the gantry and it scanned my tag, the red X changed to a green tick and the barrier opened. The sh*t box made a run for it and the barrier came down in front of me. :mad: He used my €1.80 to make a run for it. Kudos to him though. :P

I went into the other lane and it charged me again, rang Easytrip and said I want a refund. They refunded both charges(free toll)and said that the Toll plaza will likely chase the "driveoff" for the money back.

So its like the McDonalds trick. Ensure you are the car in the middle of the drivein, and say to the voice box "sorry I forgot my wallet, I'll just leave" get up to the food window and take the food of the car behind you. Yah' free meal!

Berty

Contrary to the Title of the thread I just received my Easytrip bill and the Limerick Tunnel operators are losing out.

I have been charged ONCE for using the Toll Plaza since it opened and I have used it MANY MANY times.

Silly people.

jor el

You'd have to wonder how, after tolls being in place for decades, and tag service for years now, they still manage to get it so wrong.

source

New systems always have teething problems, whether they're well known systems that have been around for years or pioneering technology. There will always be issues with set up, wiring etc

on the topic of "road tax" or "motor tax", I'm going to be pedantic for the moment. The legislation that allows for this is the Finance Act 1976, in which it calls it a Licence, also known as a "Road Fund Licence" I would take this as being along the same lines as a TV licence. ie.. if you want to use the road you must have said licence.

The road fund licence goes to local council not central government, and it is the council who decide how it is distributed from there.

Section 73.—(1) Where a vehicle to which this Part applies is used, parked or otherwise kept at any time in a public place, if while the vehicle is being so used, parked or kept there is not fixed to and exhibited on the vehicle in accordance with section 5 (5) of the Act of 1920 a licence which is both issued in respect of the vehicle and is for the time being in force, then the person by whom the vehicle is so used, parked or kept at the time shall be guilty of an offence, and in addition to the person aforesaid, the person (if he is not the person aforesaid) who on the day on which the offence is committed is in relation to the vehicle the relevant person shall also be guilty of an offence.
[GA]

(2) A person shall not be convicted under this section and under section 12 (4) of the Act of 1920 in respect of the same omission.

monkeypants

I would only use the M1 on a regular basis and it's €1.90, which is okay. A lot less that the €3.00 that it costs to use the M50. I recently had to travel to Cork and the M7 was €1.80 and the M9 was €1.90. But on a trip to Galway, the M6 was €1.90 while the M4 was €2.70, a huge leap.

Berty

Just an observation from yesterday and today at rush hour coming in from the Shannon direction.

There was nearly a pile up each day with people queuing to take the exit before the tunnel and people in the overtaking lane suddenly swerving across both lanes and then queuing across the chevrons to get onto the exit.

People living on that side or just simply misers who wont use the tunnel?

Also the express lane appeared to be open today on the Shannon side so I headed in, the tag beeped, and the barrier didnt lift. I headed into a normal lane and my tag beeped again. Quick phone call and I got one journey refunded.

Feckin Chancers! :mad:

Mc Love

I know someone that works in Shannon and have used the shunnel ever since its opened and think its brilliant

Captain Average

I'll be very happy with the Tunnel this evening when I'm trying to get from Shannon to Cork on time for the 7pm kick off of Munster v Leicester.

Ricky91t

This was perfect for me took about 15 mins off the journey and meant the usual 1 hour and 30 minutes was only an hour journey to Shannon.

thesimpsons

anyone come across the ducks on the Clonmacken onramp to the tunnel? I was motoring along, building up speed to join the rest of the traffic the other day and there were approx 20 ducks standing at left hand side of the road, looking for all the world like they were practising the "Safe Cross Code" before attempting to cross

yammagamma

how does the tag save you money , its exactly the same price, ie i pay 4.50 for my truck a go and 25X 4.50 =112.50 which is charge for a tag for 25 uses ???

limklad

yammagamma wrote: »

how does the tag save you money , its exactly the same price, ie i pay 4.50 for my truck a go and 25X 4.50 =112.50 which is charge for a tag for 25 uses ???

It does not save money. Tags also have a service charge in addition. Only if you use it on the M50 will it save you money.

phill106

limklad wrote: »

It does not save money. Tags also have a service charge in addition. Only if you use it on the M50 will it save you money.

Silly alright. I went to the tunnel open day at the time, and they were trying to sell those. Thinking they would be a nice reduction, i aksed about it, couldnt believe you dont save a penny!

AnCapaillMor

I can't use tags, the scanner picks up my KIA Pro C'eed as a commercial vehicle and tries to charg me 3.20. Talked to toll booth guy and there's no way around it.

Berty

I have been speaking to the toll tag people for a number of days because my TAG is not recognised in the express lane. It is only recognised in the normal toll plaza lanes.

They have no idea at the moment why and from what I understand there are many people like this.

knipex

Berty wrote: »

I have been speaking to the toll tag people for a number of days because my TAG is not recognised in the express lane. It is only recognised in the normal toll plaza lanes.

They have no idea at the moment why and from what I understand there are many people like this.

Berty

When you go through the express lane slow down to about 30 or 40 kph and I bet it will be recognised. Anything faster than that and mine isn't recognised either.

DemoniK

+1 - you have to get below 60kph or it won't recognise it.

Also seen lots of issues were ppl go in at 100kph, but barrier doesn't open, they start reversing - it gets mine, but their gate opening system screws up and won't open for me thinking I've gotten there too quick so have to go left anyways - grrr...
Lucky tag only paying once

Berty

Been through the speed limit thing with them over the phone and thats not the issue. The placement of the tag on the windscreen is perfect. I have e-mailed them a list of all the times I passed through and they checked back over the cameras. They are still none the wiser.

Etrip say its nothing to do with them because the tag obviously works everywhere else.

Liam Byrne

Ricky91t wrote: »

This was perfect for me took about 15 mins off the journey and meant the usual 1 hour and 30 minutes was only an hour journey to Shannon.

OK - that's a new one on my maths!

1.30 -
0.15 =
1.00 ????

AnCapaillMor

Liam Byrne wrote: »

OK - that's a new one on my maths!

1.30 -
0.15 =
1.00 ????

Clare is 15 minutes behind us.

LB6

was letting that maths one go lmao

Kess73

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

I can't use tags, the scanner picks up my KIA Pro C'eed as a commercial vehicle and tries to charg me 3.20. Talked to toll booth guy and there's no way around it.

Friend has the same problem with an Opel Astra Sports hatch. Seems that every second or third time she drives through the toll section, it reads her car as a commercial vehicle.

Would be a very similar shape as your Kia.

Berty

Figured out today / easiest answer (whichever :rolleyes:).

My Ford Focus has a heated windscreen and this "can" cause issues with tag readers and GPS systems so I tested it by holding the tag out the window and boom the barrier lifted for me.

It still doesnt answer why it opens outside of the express lane through the windscreen.