M18 Ennis By-Pass to be tolled

angelfire9

Nicked from the motoring forum
Link:http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056242747

By Paul Melia
Monday April 18 2011
THE number of tolled roads across the country will be doubled under plans that recommend new charges on eight routes.

Motorists pay some €184m a year to use existing tolled roads, but now they face the prospect of paying a raft of new charges.

A major study from the National Roads Authority (NRA) says the Exchequer could take in another €62m a year under its plans.

It suggests doubling the number of tolled roads, with new charges recommended on eight routes across the State.

They are the Dundalk bypass, the N20 at Croom in Co Limerick, the N20 at Mallow in Co Cork, the N18 Ennis bypass, the N9 Carlow bypass and the Jack Lynch Tunnel in Cork. Other roads that could be tolled in future include the N17/18 Tuam bypass and N11 Arklow bypass.

The NRA also says motorists should be charged based on the amount of motorway they use. It says so-called multi-point tolling should be introduced on motorways including the M50, where the road would be divided into sections, and a charge applied to each portion used during a journey.

The Government's Smarter Travel policy wants an extra 500,000 people to use public transport, walk or cycle to work by 2020, to help reduce car commuting. It also calls for the number of car trips per year not to increase beyond current levels up to 2020.

"Capacity of the national road network remains under significant pressure in the fringes of major urban areas, where local trips comprise a significant proportion of the volume of traffic carried," the National Roads Traffic Management Study says.

Source: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/motorists-face-new-charges-as-number-of-toll-roads-to-double-2622183.html

Firstly with the number of entrances on to the Ennis By-Pass I'm not sure how logistically they are going to manage this unless they put one down at Dromoland and one around Gort

But more importantly I would be very much opposed to this as I think it will just drive motorists back through the town and the traffic chaos we used to have before the by-pass will return with a vengence

It is also VERY unfair on the poor sods who work in Galway, Shannon & Limerick and use the motorway every day

CptSternn

angelfire9 wrote: »

It is also VERY unfair on the poor sods who work in Galway, Shannon & Limerick and use the motorway every day

I used to take the train to Limerick all the time, until they jacked the costs. It costs almost treble now in comparison to just a few years ago. Combine that with increased fees for parking at the train stations and you are going to find getting around in the West of Ireland is going to be cost preventive for anyone even wishing to work, much less travel for leisure.

Gregor Samsa

In fairness, it's a proposal, not a plan. The way the Indo write it, you'd swear the toll plazas were being built as we speak.

That said, as a daily user of the bypass, I'd be bitterly opposed to tolling on it. I'd drive through town rather than pay while the current Motor Tax/VRT regime is in place. If the whole thing was to change to a more equitable "pay as you use" system, then that might be a different issue.

dr.fuzzenstein

Well, that's definitely one to bring to your local TD.
And if he doesn't do anything, I'll get one of these from the pantry:



If there could be some co-ordination for everyone not to buy new cars till the whole thing is buried and forgotten about, money and votes, that's all they understand.

Johnboy1951

No link, but I read a report that the Limerick tunnel is so underused that the Gov

---

meaning the taxpayers

---

will have to pay the difference between expected income and actual income, and it will apparently amount to quite a heavty amount.

I doubt the cost of erecting and running a toll on the Ennis Bypass could be justified on an income basis.

Lady Chatterton

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

No link, but I read a report that the Limerick tunnel is so underused that the Gov

---

meaning the taxpayers

---

will have to pay the difference between expected income and actual income, and it will apparently amount to quite a heavty amount.

I doubt the cost of erecting and running a toll on the Ennis Bypass could be justified on an income basis.

Maybe they should think about reducing the price slightly to encourage greater use. If you are using tunnel every day on the commute to and from work it isn't long clocking up.

dr.fuzzenstein

MrsD007 wrote: »

Maybe they should think about reducing the price slightly to encourage greater use. If you are using tunnel every day on the commute to and from work it isn't long clocking up.

Yep, I start work in Castletroy at 8am, no traffic, so I'm across the city in 15 minutes or less.
On the way back (in nice weather) I go Montpelier, O'Brien's Bridge, Broadford, O'Callaghan's Mills and past Tulla.
Me (and many, many others) will surely use this road a lot more if tolls are introduced.
Proposed website: ratruns.ie, how to avoid the tolls.
Maybe an iPhone app too.

Lady Chatterton

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

On the way back (in nice weather) I go Montpelier, O'Brien's Bridge, Broadford, O'Callaghan's Mills and past Tulla.

That is a lovely drive during the summer, I've done the same journey myself a few times.

dr.fuzzenstein

MrsD007 wrote: »

That is a lovely drive during the summer, I've done the same journey myself a few times.

it sure is and it's nice to stop off for an icecream which you have to have by law if the weather is this nice.:D
Not going that way in the winter though, that road won't be as nice in the dark and with ice.

Figerty

I am amazed they think they could propose this and think they could get away with it. We the taxpayers have already (with some European money:) ) paid for this road. GAMA (not Nama) built this road and were paid. Now they want to charge us a second time for the use of the road on top of road and fuel tax.

As Winston Churchill once said.."We contend that for a nation to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. "

This was floated before the last election and then quickly dropped.
It a dissencentive to invest in the county and country.

Burn a hole in your polititican ears as fast as you can about this an get it buried.

Shapey Fiend

Always figured you'd burn a euro or two in petrol going around the Limerick tunnel so it's much the same price to use it.

I only drive the ma's car occasionally and I filled the tank recently. Or should I say I stopped when it hit 50 euro. No way I'm buying a car while prices are like this.

dr.fuzzenstein

Shapey Fiend wrote: »

Always figured you'd burn a euro or two in petrol going around the Limerick tunnel so it's much the same price to use it.

I only drive the ma's car occasionally and I filled the tank recently. Or should I say I stopped when it hit 50 euro. No way I'm buying a car while prices are like this.

I go through town or back through the hinterland.
Both shorter and I certainly don't burn an extra E18 of diesel a week if I do it.
I checked my MPG going through the tunnel, town and backroad, the difference is very small.
I'd have to floor it the whole way to make up that difference.
I do take the tunnel, usually one way only and no more than 3 times a week.
The fact that I have to be at work at 8 helps, because there's not a lot of traffic at that time, if I had to be in for 9 it would be different.