Brennan urged to put tolls on existing roads

PRESSURE is mounting on Transport Minister Seamus Brennan to impose tolls on existing roads to make up for a €10 billion overrun on a national road improvements programme.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), John Purcell, has suggested the tolling of existing national routes as one method of bridging a funding shortfall because the estimated cost of several major road projects overseen by the National Roads Authority (NRA) has risen by almost 200% over a two-year period.

Only 50% of the roads programme being implemented under the National Development Plan will be completed within its original deadline of 2006 due to soaring costs.