Price rise over barrier-free tolls

The National Roads Authority (NRA) has approved a toll charge increase for the M50 when barrier-free tolling is introduced in August.

The decision was made by the NRA board last week after it considered a report from former Central Bank governor Maurice O'Connell who had chaired an oral hearing into objections to the toll increases.

A spokesman for the NRA confirmed that the increases had been approved by the board and that Mr O'Connell's report would be published next week.

Since January, it costs €2 to cross the West-Link toll bridge and all cars fitted with an electronic tag will continue to pay €2 after barrier-free tolling is introduced from August 1st.

Motorists without a tag, who pre-register a vehicle and provide card details, will face a fee of €2.50 from August, some 32 per cent more than the current standard tariff. Drivers who do not pre-register will have to pay €3 per trip, an increase of 58 per cent.

The NRA held the hearing after it received six objections to its tolling scheme with the complainants including the National Consumer Agency (NCA), hauliers, car rental firms and Fine Gael TD Leo Varadkar.

At the hearing last December, the NCA argued that the tag scheme imposed significant extra charges in the form of monthly administrative fees, minimum top-up charges and minimum top-up thresholds. It called for the introduction of a smart card, similar to that used for the Luas, which does not have an administration fee.

It also argued that the tolls for occasional users - for whom an electronic tag would not make economic sense - were excessive.

One tag system used for the West-Link - EazyPass - currently has a monthly administration fee of €1.21 with a top-up threshold of €12.70 and a minimum top-up amount of €40.

Since last year the NRA mandated that all five tag systems be interoperable, meaning that tags work on every tolled road.

Asked if the issue of administration costs, raised during the hearing, was addressed in Mr O'Connell's report, the NRA spokesman said that it had.

"We still have concerns regarding competitive law issues and state aid issues and we are continuing to review these with our legal council, following a request from the NRA board," he said.

During the hearing the NRA argued that the technology and costs required for electronic tags differed considerably from the Luas system.

Drivers who do not have a tag and who do not pre-register will have until 8pm the following day to voluntarily pay the €3 toll, under the NRA's proposed penalties. Payment can be made online, by phone, in a shop payzone or in a garage.

If they do not pay, a €3 surcharge will be applied and they will have 10 working days to pay. If this is not paid, the fee increases to €46 with the motorist given 28 working days to pay. After this period the fine rises to a maximum of €146 and the case is referred to a debt collection agency. Pro rata fees for drivers of other vehicles will also apply.

One change to the penalty system agreed by the NRA board is the introduction of a "courteous waiver". Drivers who forget to pay their €3 toll within the first 24 hours will have the €3 surcharge waived if paid within the next 10 days the first time.

The NRA will take control of the West-Link from National Toll Roads (NTR) next August.