Express Lane - Toll Plaza

Berty

I think this is important enough that it might get lost in the regular Toll Plaza / Tunnel thread.

I have noticed a lot of people lately stopping under the express lane gantry so it reads their tag and more people waiting under the gantry until the person in front of them goes through the barrier.

I hope I'm not the only who thinks that parking in the Express Lane is highly dangerous and will eventually lead to people running into the back of them.

Over the past few weeks I have had to use the regular lanes with my tag because of queues of people slowing and stopping in the Express lane.

I asked the Toll Plaza operators and their response was basically "what can we do?"

I suggested they put up an LED sign saying "Do not stop in the Express Lane / Maintain speed of 50km/h(or other speed)."

They suggested that somebody would have to pay for the sign. I suggested €1.80 per vehicle more than covers it.

phog

Sounds dangerous and whatever the priice of the signage it will be cheap compared to a serious injury or death.

However, seeing that there is a thread on here giving the exact location of the speed traps and I still hear of people getting caught for speeding by the private vans I'm not sure that this thread will warn too many express lane users of the danger outlined above.

tommy249

I have found the complete opposite when people don't stop. As a regular user of the express lane, when the car behind does not stop and follows the front car, it cuts off the first car and the barrier does not open so both cars have to leave the express lane and go to the regular line. It drives me mad when people do this. About half the people stop and have patience and the other half keep driving. Any time the car behind stops and does not follow the first car, both cars get through the express lane. When they keep driving, neither car gets through. So many people who work with me and use the tunnel regularly have the same problem as me.

Twin-go

tommy249 wrote: »

I have found the complete opposite when people don't stop. As a regular user of the express lane, when the car behind does not stop and follows the front car, it cuts off the first car and the barrier does not open so both cars have to leave the express lane and go to the regular line. It drives me mad when people do this. About half the people stop and have patience and the other half keep driving. Any time the car behind stops and does not follow the first car, both cars get through the express lane. When they keep driving, neither car gets through. So many people who work with me and use the tunnel regularly have the same problem as me.

Well if you have to stop its not really an express lane then is it?

I think the design is too short to allow for multible car to adjust their speed an distance. The one on the M7 is a much better design allowing for more cars and at higher speeds.

Cookiemunster

The express lane is a joke. I got there this morning just as the car in front of me went through the barrier (so plenty of space between us), my tag beeped, the green arrow came on, but the barrier didn't raise so I had to go to the normal booth where the barrier didn't go up either, so I had to press the help button and wait for someone to answer.
I'd have been faster going to the manned booth and paying cash :mad:
It's not the first time tis has happened either.

Berty

Happened to me again this morning. A jeep was dawdling under the gantry so I was flashing my lights at him. He crawls forward waiting for the barrier to lift and as soon as it does he is off like a shot.

FFS There are sensors in the ground. The barrier will lift when you go over them NOT WHEN YOU THINK IT WILL.

I passed through the Toll on the M6 later in the morning twice and the distance between the gantry and the barrier is much shorter and the barrier itself nearly raises instantly. I can't remember the last time I had a problem on the M6, M50, M1 or M8.

You lot should see the M1 Toll Plaza. The red/white uprights are very close to the lane making the lane pretty thin and the dump lane(as the Limerick crowd call it) is very sharp as they expect that very few people will need it. basically if the barrier doesnt lift you have to react very quickly before you hit the barrier. The one in Limerick is massive. Handy because nearly everybody has to use it.

If I see two or more cars heading into the express lane in future I will avoid it. It's the easiest way to be to be fair.

niallers1

If you drive through the express lane too quickly the barrier won't open. This is why people slow down..

It usually only opens if you are travelling slow.

Berty

niallers1 wrote: »

If you drive through the express lane too quickly the barrier won't open. This is why people slow down..

It usually only opens if you are travelling slow.

50km/h is the speed they ASK you to drive through it.

I'm talking about people STOPPING to 0 km/h. That's insane.

timbertime

I think calling it an 'express lane' is the biggest joke and not people stopping in the lane. To be fair to them they only stop or crawl through at 10kph with hope their tag will beep. I keep going through the lane with the blind hope that for once the stupid thing will work but no.
In my last 10 trips through the tunnel it has worked once. And that was going in the Ennis direction. It has nevers seems to work going in the Dublin direction!
I was told by one of the workers at the booth one day it didn't work because it was raining!! On the same journey I went through the M7/M8 and also on the M50 and all worked fine! You'd think Limerick would be used to the rain by now!

Berty

Ah Timber you'd think the company who installed would be used to it. They were/are Directroute who built the M8 Toll Plaza.

Itsdacraic

Sure what incentive do they have to get things to work properly.

They know they won't get the traffic volumes guaranteed under the PPP agreement so that short fall will be made up by the state, regardless of how poorly it does.

demac

Slightly off topic but I was travelling through the M8 Express Lane last night. There was a car in front of me that passed through as normal but as I approached the barrier, down it came. I braked but couldn't stop in time and it bounced off the windscreen, thankfully no cracks or other damage. The barrier did not return to it's original position, it ended up pointing in the direction that I was travelling.

As there was a car behind me, I couldn't stop and once you clear the barrier, you can't cut across 5 or 6 lanes and pull in so I kept going.

Has this ever happened to anyone here and I'm wondering if I should contact Midlink and explain what happened.

phill106

demac wrote: »

Slightly off topic but I was travelling through the M8 Express Lane last night. There was a car in front of me that passed through as normal but as I approached the barrier, down it came. I braked but couldn't stop in time and it bounced off the windscreen, thankfully no cracks or other damage. The barrier did not return to it's original position, it ended up pointing in the direction that I was travelling.

As there was a car behind me, I couldn't stop and once you clear the barrier, you can't cut across 5 or 6 lanes and pull in so I kept going.

Has this ever happened to anyone here and I'm wondering if I should contact Midlink and explain what happened.

Considering they would have all your details, i would. Contact them and blame them before they call and ask you why you rammed the barrier

gibo_ie

I have had this happen and i will always let the car ahead of me clear before i go through the reader, for a very simple reason. You get cars which go through without a tag and simply wait until the car behind comes through, tag gets read then they drive under the barrier while you who has had your tag read gets pushed the big red X and out of the lane.
This has happened my numerous times on the M1 so i always wait till the car ahead of me clears now before going through, yep its express but and you are expected to slow down but i am fed up paying for scroungers in front of me!

source

gibo_ie wrote: »

I have had this happen and i will always let the car ahead of me clear before i go through the reader, for a very simple reason. You get cars which go through without a tag and simply wait until the car behind comes through, tag gets read then they drive under the barrier while you who has had your tag read gets pushed the big red X and out of the lane.
This has happened my numerous times on the M1 so i always wait till the car ahead of me clears now before going through, yep its express but and you are expected to slow down but i am fed up paying for scroungers in front of me!

Had a guy try this on me, coming back from Shannon one day. I stopped fully at the end of the express lane until he left the lane, then went through. He blasted past me as I approached the tunnel blowing his horn and giving the finger....All I could do was laugh at the idiot.

zuroph

foinse wrote: »

.All I could do was laugh at the idiot.

or, you know, take his licence plate and pass it on to a garda.

TonyStark

gibo_ie wrote: »

I have had this happen and i will always let the car ahead of me clear before i go through the reader, for a very simple reason. You get cars which go through without a tag and simply wait until the car behind comes through, tag gets read then they drive under the barrier while you who has had your tag read gets pushed the big red X and out of the lane.
This has happened my numerous times on the M1 so i always wait till the car ahead of me clears now before going through, yep its express but and you are expected to slow down but i am fed up paying for scroungers in front of me!

Saw this on the M4. Got quite the scare managed to stop the car dead before I hit the barrier. Car in front sees me take position in the outside lane...cuts across three lanes (quiet) and nips in front. My tag beeps and the guy slows down til the barrier raises and then heads on through.

Not thinking anything untoward is happening proceed to barrier at about 40kmphs. Red light shows and it comes down. Slam on the brakes and bring the car to an emergency stop.

All to save them €2.70

Mc Love

My girlfriends friend of mine went through the one in Portlaoise on the M7 and never heard anything from them

spindizzy

If you go through the Limerick tunnel and come off at the very first exit, is there a toll? (Going towards ennis/shannon)

Insect Overlord

If you go under the tunnel you'll have to pay a toll.

Berty

spindizzy wrote: »

If you go through the Limerick tunnel and come off at the very first exit, is there a toll? (Going towards ennis/shannon)

Yes, otherwise everybody would be doing it.

highlydebased

If you take the turnoff for Caherdavin there's a smaller toll plaza (Some people think there isint :L )

phill106

Yes, brings you in a loop over the road and back down to clonmacken roundabout via a small toll plaza. Small loop road is a good place to take a pic of the tunnel entrance btw.

Paul101

Hi. If you take the first exit after the tunnel then you won't be going towards Shannon, you will be going towards Caherdavin and yeah, there is a toll there. The best thing is to stay on the road, pay the toll and you will be there in no time. Driving around the place is hardly worth it

Paul101

The Limerick tunnel toll plaza has been set up to accept cars going at 50km. it does not work at 60km and certainly not at 10km. it is a very bad design and not seen on other roads
Alao then you approach the first green arrow says "go" and there is also a left arrow saying to go left. this is the default setting and once the first beacon picks you up the left arrow changes to "SLOW DOWN" if you are already doing the correct 50km it still says slow down and so caused no end of confusion.
On a positive note it keeps us all alert as we drive as we never know if it will work or not.

Insect Overlord

Two Tunnel threads merged.

Berty

8:00am. It's getting worse. A jeep in front of me went through, X stayed on RED and signs flashed to turn left to get out of the lane. What did he do? Nothing. He stopped inches from the barrier so that I passed through and the barrier opened and through he went.

The X stayed red. Get out of the fvcking lane moron!!

Twin-go

Anybody have issues this morning with there tolltag?

Southbound 8.15am: Went into express lane about 100m behind a SUV. SUV was "kicked out" and then so was I (even though I was doing about 45kph).

Went up to the regular unmanned booth expecting the barrier to rise when my tag was read, but no. I was stuck there with my bonnet under the barrier. Tried waving my tag all around the windscreen but no luck.

So with a queue building up behind me I had to search for some change (luckily have back up coins). I was gone past the basket at this stage so I had to fumble half out my door and deposit my toll.

It probably took me 30 seconds to do all this but with a line of car been held up it felt like forever. So appolgies if you where stuck behind me.

Was it just me or did other folks have issues today?

peckerhead

Insect Overlord wrote: »

If you go under the tunnel you'll have to pay a toll.

If you accidentally take the wrong turn off the Caherdavin roundabout you'll have to pay a toll, 'cause there's no turning back.

Cookiemunster

Twin-go wrote: »

Anybody have issues this morning with there tolltag?

Southbound 8.15am: Went into express lane about 100m behind a SUV. SUV was "kicked out" and then so was I (even though I was doing about 45kph).

Went up to the regular unmanned booth expecting the barrier to rise when my tag was read, but no. I was stuck there with my bonnet under the barrier. Tried waving my tag all around the windscreen but no luck.

So with a queue building up behind me I had to search for some change (luckily have back up coins). I was gone past the basket at this stage so I had to fumble half out my door and deposit my toll.

It probably took me 30 seconds to do all this but with a line of car been held up it felt like forever. So appolgies if you where stuck behind me.

Was it just me or did other folks have issues today?

That's happened me a few times (but not this morning thankfully). Don't put any money in though, press the intercom button and tell them the barrier didn't raise for your tag. They'll let you through.

Twin-go

Cookiemunster wrote: »

That's happened me a few times (but not this morning thankfully). Don't put any money in though, press the intercom button and tell them the barrier didn't raise for your tag. They'll let you through.

It's stupid really. I was coming down from Dublin last week after picking up my new car. I stuck the tag in the glovebox as I hadn't transfered the car details as yet. As I went up to the window to pay "beep" and up goes the barrier. Yet the one on the Tunnel can't read a tag stuck to the windscreen.:mad: