Barrier-free tolling on M50 by 2008

A single-point barrier-free tolling system will be put in place on the M50 at the end of the first phase of its upgrade in 2008, Minister for Transport Martin Cullen told the Dáil yesterday.

Green Party spokesman Eamon Ryan said it was "clear the Taoiseach has got to the Minister in terms of not doing anything which will scare the horses before the next election".

During transport questions, Mr Cullen said the National Roads Authority would come back to Government at the end of the year with a proposal for a move to barrier-free tolling.

The Minister previously indicated that a multipoint tolling system would be introduced. He said he had been reported as changing his mind, but he had made this point last year.

Labour spokeswoman Roisín Shortall said the Minister had "got it so wrong" last week, but Mr Cullen said Labour's mantra was to get people to deny what they did not say in order to create mischief.

Mr Cullen said that under the conditions of the planning permission for the M50 upgrade, a scheme of "specific demand management measures" for the motorway has to be published no later than three years after the upgrade is completed. "For this reason the barrier-free tolling arrangements will need to be adaptable to meet the medium- to long-term needs that arise, and to satisfy the planning permission requirements in that regard."

Mr Ryan said the hearing for the widening of the motorway was told that as soon as this was completed, traffic would double and the road would be gridlocked. "Doesn't that require what the Minister implied, that a multiple tolling system on the M50 operated on a variable basis, not to raise revenues, but to cut down on congestion?"

Mr Cullen said that he could not countenance, "nor do I believe anybody else could, introducing demand management or congestion charging in Dublin until all the public transport facilities a modern capital city requires are in place. I refer to metro north, metro west, the seven Luas extensions, the substantial investment in buses and so on. I am glad we had the opportunity to put the Green Party policy in place because that party now wants the M50 festooned with tolls."