HELPDESK:Answering your motoring queries, with MICHAEL McALEER
From DH: In relation to the M50 toll operators, here are two examples of my experience with the tolls. On August 8th I made a journey southbound in a car registered to me. Two days later at a paypoint in Kenmare I paid the €6 due (€3 toll and €3 for late payment). More than three weeks later, on September 3rd, I receiveing a letter from eFlow demanding €47.50.
On August 16th I made a northbound journey on the M50 in a different car, also registered to me. Three days later at a paypoint in Malahide I paid the necessary €6. Then, on September 10th, I received a letter from eFlow again, demanding €47.50.
On both occasions there was ample time for them to check their records. I must be one of thousands being wrongly targeted in this way. Having gone to the bother and expense of notifying them of their error in the first instance, I am loathe to carry on this foolish situation for much longer.
The reader in question has provided us with the receipts in question that show payment.
According to the NRA, the toll needs to be paid by 8pm the day after or a penalty notice is automatically issued.
A spokesman for the NRA saiid: “This toll penalty notice can be paid by scanning the barcode on the correspondence in a Payzone shop or, if paying online, by inputting the correspondence reference number when making payment.
“It appears from the information provided that the motorist made payments of the due amount but the payments were made without reference to the toll penalty notice. Had the payments been made using the toll penalty notice reference details, no subsequent toll notices would have been issued.
“Use of the notice reference number is essential to differentiate between payments made towards the penalty notice and payments being made towards other journeys.”
He suggests the situation could also be rectified on the phone by calling customer service. “Had the customer contacted the call centre following receipt of the toll notice, they would have been able to resolve the issue and ensure the €6 paid was assigned to close out the particular penalty notice.” It seems it still falls upon the motorist to prove their innocence in these instances.
From TA: I’ve always been interested in the Chrysler Voyager as an upgrade from our Renault Megane and I’ve spotted a couple of 2004 and 2005 models for about €15,000. Is there anything I need to watch out for?
Our colleague Donal Byrne wrote on this model in his second-hand section just three months ago. You can look for his article online at irishtimes.com but his views – with which I strongly agree – are that the Voyager has fantastic interior space and is very practical, courtesy of its sliding rear doors.
However, it has suffered reliability problems and a poor crash test history. Finally, like a lot of US-orientated cars, handling is woolly – more minibus than car.
In terms of engines, the 2.5 diesel is the preferred option. I would suggest getting the car thoroughly checked, and you might also consider looking out for something more orientated for European driving habits, such as the Ford Galaxy or the Renault Espace. You could pick up a 1.9-litre diesel Galaxy for that sort of money.
From JF: This is less a question and more the chance to air my views on the ridiculous speeds that some people drive at in Dublin. Two roads come to mind. The first is the Malahide Road, where I have been doing 50km/h while cars have shot past at speeds I can only estimate are closer to 90km/h.
The second is the exit from the M1. Signposts read 80km/h as you turn away from the Port Tunnel entrance, then down to 60km/h and finally to 50km/h under the Santry flyover. If you drive at 50km/h where the sign is, you are in serious danger of being run off the road. Why are people getting away with this?
The problem is, when gardaí enforce limits in these urban areas, people complain that they are on a revenue-generating exercise. While drivers think they are being victimised with speed checks at locations such as these, we need to remember that four lanes of traffic doing 70km/h is especially dangerous when you add in pedestrians, cyclists and suburban living.