Varadkar: Ruling out new road tolls is common sense
The threat of travel charges being imposed at Cork’s Jack Lynch Tunnel as well as the M1 at Dundalk, the N20 between Cork and Limerick and the N11 at Arklow have been lifted.
Mr Varadkar also pledged not to install extra tolls along the M50 in Dublin in addition to the one at the Westlink bridge.
The minister said he had taken the decision due to a “combination of cost and common sense” factors.
Mr Varadkar said the Government’s moves to increase VAT rates and motor tax, along with the imposition of carbon taxes, had all added to the financial woes of drivers.
“Motorists are being hit very hard by increased tax.
“Motor tax is going up this year and the price of petrol and diesel is very high — some of that due to VAT increases and carbon tax.
“In the longer term, the reality is that fuel prices are going to rise so I don’t particularly want to hit people with extra tolls as well. And in addition to that there is the fact that it costs money to put up tolling gantries.
“The benefits are much less than the costs and I am no longer considering the proposal,” he told RTÉ.
However, Mr Varadkar said he could not stop toll operators from increasing their charges — but insisted this would only be in line with inflation.
He said the need to wait for EU approval for some tolling projects had also influenced his decision, due to the amount of time the process would take.
This decision will come as a relief to motorists after the National Roads Authority announced last summer that it was seeking advice on how to raise revenue from new tolls to make up for cuts in its budget.
Mr Varadkar indicated at the time that new tolls on some stretches of road such as the Jack Lynch Tunnel could not be ruled out.
He has shown a populist streak since becoming Transport Minister last March as he went out of his way to make it clear he opposed the Cabinet’s decision to allow ministers without garda drivers to use bus lanes in order to beat traffic queues.
