Motorway toll charges to increase to 'maximum' level from January 

Only one tolled road in the country will not see a price increase. File Leon Farrell/Rollingnews.ie

Motorway toll charges across the country will rise to their maximum permitted price in the coming weeks, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has confirmed.

The price increases, which TII says are being introduced due to inflation, will come into effect on January 1, 2023.

PPP motorways

Of the country's 10 motorways, eight are operated under Public Private Partnership (PPP) and two are operated directly on behalf of TII.

On the M1, M7, M8, N6, N25 at Waterford and N18 Limerick Tunnel, tolls for cars will increase from €2 to €2.10.

For buses and large goods vehicles (LGVs), price will increase from €3.50 to €3.80. Hauliers face hikes from €4.90 to €5.40 and €6.30 to €6.80 per journey, depending on the number of axles on their vehicle.

On the M3, car tolls will rise 10c to €1.60, while prices for buses and LGVs will rise from €2.30 to €2.40. Chargers for larger trucks will rise from €3 to €3.20 and from €3.70 to €4.

On the M4, car tolls will increase to €3.20 — up 20c. For buses and LGVs, tolls will go from €4.50 to €4.90. Larger trucks will see face increases from €6 to €6.50 and from €7.30 to €7.90, depending on vehicle size.

M50 and Dublin Tunnel

The State-owned M50, which is operated on behalf of (TII), will see its car tolls increase for tag users by 20c to €2.30.

Drivers captured on video travelling through the barrier-free tolls will see fares rise from €2.70 to €2.90.

Unregistered cars will be charged €3.50 — up from €3.20.

Tagged goods vehicles weighing less than 2,000kg, and buses will be charged €3.20, up from €3. Vehicles of this size caught on video will see fares increase by 30c to €3.80. Unregistered vehicles in this category will also be upped by 30c, from €4.10 to €4.40.

The only tolled road in the country that will not see price rises is the Dublin Tunnel.

Announcing the increases, TII said the new plans were necessary "due to the inflationary impact during 2022."

A spokesperson for TII said all tolls on the country's road network are regulated through the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and "cannot go above inflation”. Between August 2021 and August 2022, CPI increased by 8.6%.

As regards the M50, the spokesperson said a deferment of the toll increase "would have required funding to be reallocated from other national road projects and reduced funding for asset management and renewal activities."

According to TII, all eight PPP companies operating motorways "have reviewed these submissions and concur with the maximum toll charges calculated."

The spokesperson added that revenue generated from tolls is used for things such as motorway maintenance, toll collection and operations, and the maintenance of the wider national road network.