E-Tags, do they save you money when driving from Cork to Dublin

Mecgrad13

Hi all

I was thinking of getting an E-Tag for my car in the hope of saving money on trip's from Cork to Dublin. I drive to and back from Dublin once every two weeks and this can cost me up to 7.60euro's per trip (1.90 per toll) by handing the coin's at the tolls. I was looking at E-Tags online that some of them asks money up front and a administration fee every month but does not mention that you save money or not.

My question is that does anyone know where to get an E-Tag or any other method's that will save money on the toll's between Cork and Dublin?

colm_mcm

I may be wrong, but I think you only save money on the m50 toll by having a tag?
They're dead handy though.

MuppetCheck

My tag is one of the direct route ones as I use the Fermoy one a lot but it works everywhere.

I have mine set up to take 20 passes at a time when it tops up from my credit card. Works out at €32.40 each time, or about €1.60 a pass. I'm sure I more than piss that saving away gunning it through the toll plaza though.

Zoney

I'd been wondering about this myself and just had a look there - seems that unless you use the M50 a couple times a month, they all cost you money. Monthly charge, initial set up charge, etc. There's an option that doesn't seem to cost money but you need to be with O2, and another one costs a little more per toll, but lets you pay nothing else all year even if you only went through once or twice.

I'll be sticking to the coins! (regular Limerick tunnel user, occasional M7/M8 toll and only a couple times a year, M50).

Edit: Not the nicest user-friendly site, but info roughly across this site: www.tagcompare.ie

colm_mcm

Zoney, I use the limerick tunnel every day. For me I'd never queue up for the booth unless I didn't have change. I'd nearly always throw €2 in the basket.
40 trips a month, that's €4 extra
I got the eflow tag in January - think it costs €1.27 per month. It tops up from my visa debit by €20 when my prepaid balance hits €10. Its so nice not to have to worry about having coins, or notes even, being able to blast straight through is brilliant. And the odd time I use the m50 it saves hassle too.

somefeen

I just don't pay it. Saves a fortune.

colm_mcm

somefeen wrote: »

I just don't pay it. Saves a fortune.

Wouldn't the front of your car not get damaged every time you demolish a barrier though?

somefeen

colm_mcm wrote: »

Wouldn't the front of your car not get damaged every time you demolish a barrier though?

She's lowered

_Kaiser_

I have an eflow tag myself - mainly because I just hate the prepay/top-up nonsense of the rest of them that insists on having about a tenner in the account that you can't access anyway!

I get one bill each month and it is taken by direct debit - I do the same trip you do but the only saving will be on the M50 and time as you don't have to queue to pay.

Zoney

colm_mcm wrote: »

Zoney, I use the limerick tunnel every day. For me I'd never queue up for the booth unless I didn't have change. I'd nearly always throw €2 in the basket.
40 trips a month, that's €4 extra
I got the eflow tag in January - think it costs €1.27 per month. It tops up from my visa debit by €20 when my prepaid balance hits €10. Its so nice not to have to worry about having coins, or notes even, being able to blast straight through is brilliant. And the odd time I use the m50 it saves hassle too.

For me it's the principle, I want to pay the bare minimum as I entirely disagree with the entire concept. It's an incredibly inefficient and wasteful method of paying for infrastructure. Costs us all more in the end.

I'm quite happy for my getting my 10c change to show up how stupid the whole pantomime is.

SleeperService

somefeen wrote: »

She's lowered

Slammed mx5, no windscreen, WW1 biplane goggles and helmet, big tache and a flask of brandy. Oh yeah. Worth every penny. And the flys in your teeth...

colm_mcm

Zoney wrote: »

For me it's the principle, I want to pay the bare minimum as I entirely disagree with the entire concept. It's an incredibly inefficient and wasteful method of paying for infrastructure. Costs us all more in the end.

I'm quite happy for my getting my 10c change to show up how stupid the whole pantomime is.

Fair enough, I don't like waiting and queuing up. For me, €1.27 a month to not queue up or have to worry about having cash on me is worth it.

The J Stands for Jay

There's probably a feul saving in breezing through the express lane in 5th gear with a tag compared to flooring it after throwing change into the basket.

ironclaw

McGaggs wrote: »

There's probably a feul saving in breezing through the express lane in 5th gear with a tag compared to flooring it after throwing change into the basket.

There was a really interesting article about truck drivers (Who can't use the regular express lane) and the cost of slowing down, to slow to use a standard lane or indeed stop, was huge. I think it was something like €5 in diesel. So on top of the toll, it actually made sense why they never use them. The exact number escapes me but it could have been something like €12 to €15 all in.

markpb

Zoney wrote: »

For me it's the principle, I want to pay the bare minimum as I entirely disagree with the entire concept. It's an incredibly inefficient and wasteful method of paying for infrastructure. Costs us all more in the end.

You don't agree that it's fair for people who use the infrastructure to pay for it?

markpb

markpb wrote: »

You don't agree that it's fair for people who use the infrastructure to pay for it?

Infrastructure should be provided from motor tax, tax on fuel and income taxes. Toll roads are essentially paying for something we have already paid for a number of times over.

Zoney

markpb wrote: »

You don't agree that it's fair for people who use the infrastructure to pay for it?

No, I think the cost should be spread across everyone according to their means (I.e. Income tax). The motorways are infrastructure fundamental to our economy that we all benefit (or suffer) from.

Sterling Archer

SleeperService wrote: »

Slammed mx5, no windscreen, WW1 biplane goggles and helmet, big tache and a flask of brandy. Oh yeah. Worth every penny. And the flys in your teeth...

That her there? :cool:

On topic though, I've one of the eflow ones, not a fan of the top-up ones
Find it very handy to not have to be looking for change every day, and even when you get someone who doesn't seem to understand the express lane, I've noticed the normal lanes for the limerick tunnel are very quick to respond to the tag, I never stop moving really.