THE WEST-LINK toll plaza on Dublin's M50 will not be removed in time for the introduction of electronic tolling this month, leading the National Roads Authority (NRA) to admit motorists will face "teething problems".
The NRA said it will be 2010 before the full benefits of the scheme are realised.
The time scale for the removal of existing offices and booths means the plaza will not be completely removed until next October at the earliest, while motorists will be asked to convert to electronic payment methods by August 30th.
Dismantling of the toll plaza also means congestion is likely to get worse in the short term. New diversions through the plaza will be put in place and speed will be restricted during demolition works.
The NRA said it will take several weeks before M50 users settle into a normal pattern.
Meanwhile, Fine Gale transport spokesman Fergus O'Dowd is to raise the issue of minimum payments for electronic tags with the NRA.
He told The Irish Times he had paid €40 in advance when getting his tag, a figure which, if multiplied by nearly 100,000 M50 users, would amount to almost €4 million.
"With that much money sitting in the accounts of tag providers, the system should be free of maintenance costs, but some operators are imposing maintenance charges," he said.
Consumers' Association of Ireland spokesman Dermot Jewell also expressed concern about the arrangements, accusing the NRA of not having properly explained the various options to the public.
He also said that about half of M50 users had received tags, indicating there may be a rush by remaining users to get tags in the next two weeks.
"That is a direct result of the NRA not explaining it properly," he said.
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