Motorists face price hike on M50 barrier-free toll

MOTORISTS using the M50 in Dublin could soon be facing a hike in prices on the controversial Westlink toll which began a new barrier-free charging system at the weekend.

The National Roads Authority has confirmed that it is allowed under legislation to raise tolls annually in line with inflation. It means that motorists currently paying a €2 toll could be hit with a 10 cent increase from January 2009 as inflation is currently running at 4.4%.

Toll charges have been index-linked over the past decade and increases are rounded off to the nearest five cent. The Westlink’s previous operators,