Concerns that toll hikes will drive motorists onto unsuitable roads

Transport Infrastructure Ireland confirmed a raft of price increases on the State's network on 10 tolled roads from January 1.

The Government is facing fresh calls to step in again and defer the second road toll hike in six months.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) confirmed a raft of price increases on the State's network on 10 tolled roads from January 1.

It will bring the cost of driving a car through the M50 toll to a high of €3.70 for some drivers, and will make it up to 80c more expensive than it was last January for car drivers to use the other tolled roads.

TII confirmed the anticipated price hikes on Tuesday following a board meeting in October which it said considered the application of the relevant consumer price index inflation figure for August 2022 to August 2023 of 6.3%.

Against the backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis this time last year, the Government stepped in and deferred the proposed January 2023 toll hikes to July 1 when they came into effect.

And TII confirmed on Tuesday that the tolls on the eight Public Private Partnership (PPP) toll roads and the two TII toll roads — the M50 and the Dublin Port Tunnel — will increase again from January 1.

For the M50 and the PPP roads, most car tolls will increase by 20c per journey to between €2.50 and €3.70, depending on whether you have a tag or not.

The toll for heavy good vehicles over 10,000kg will increase by 30c or 40c per journey, to €6.30 with a tag, and to €7.50 without.

Car tolls on the M1, M7/M8, N6, N25 at Waterford, and N18 Limerick Tunnel will increase 20c to €2.30, the car toll on the M3 will increase 10c to €1.70, and on the M4, the toll for cars will increase 20c to €3.40.

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Dublin Port Tunnel toll charges for cars are returning to 2009 levels for peak periods from €10 to €12 to preserve capacity for heavy goods vehicles accessing Dublin Port, TII said, based on a 17% increase in traffic volumes, especially cars and long goods vehicles, using the tunnel from the period January to August 2019 to the same period this year.

TII said the tolling income is combined with an exchequer grant to help fund motorway operations and maintenance, tunnel operations and renewal, as well as motorway maintenance and renewal contracts, and various road safety and improvement schemes.

But Eugene Drennan, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, said the increase tolls will drive truck drivers off the tolled roads and onto other roads.

“For safety, we are asked to use motorways but it's too dear," he said.

"€7 per truck and some trucks would pass through multiple tolls in a day. This will force hauliers to avoid the tolls as much as possible. It's just too expensive."

Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould called on the Government to defer the charges again.

“We must not forget those who live outside the toll barrier in Cork and commute into the city for work every day,” he said.

“This increase will cost them over €100 a year and, as prices continue to rise, may force them onto alternative routes with roads that are not suitable.

“The M8 from Cork to Dublin is a core road connecting two main cities on this island. If this Government are serious about regional counterbalancing they won’t further discourage travel on this route."