MOST OF the thousands of motorists who have applied to use electronic tags under the new barrier-free tolling system on the M50 have yet to receive their tags, just four days before the new system begins.
It has also emerged that no special allowances are being made for unregistered motorists who use the M50 from next week to travel to Dublin airport.
This means that holidaymakers and other travellers should ensure they pay the toll before leaving the country, or they could face significant fines on their return.
A number of motorists contacted The Irish Timesin recent days to express their concern that the tags for which they had registered had not arrived.
Barrier-free tolling starts a minute after midnight on Friday night, after which motorists using the M50 will have three payment options: use a tag; have their numberplate registered; or remain unregistered and use a pay-as-you-go system involving payment by 8pm on the evening following their journey.
Yesterday, the National Roads Authority revealed that none of the approximately 55,000 customers who registered for a tag with its eFlow operator had received the device.
A spokeswoman said the tags were being sent out this week and customers "should expect" their tags to arrive "over the coming days", in time for the start of the new system. The tags have to be activated before use.
The NRA also warned of possible operating difficulties with tags unless they are fitted correctly at the top centre of the windscreen.
"Many existing tags may have been incorrectly installed or even sometimes hand-held and still functioned correctly on the existing plazas due to the low-speed operating environment of those plazas," the spokeswoman said.
"But without being properly installed they will not function correctly in the high-speed M50 barrier-free situation."
Further problems may arise with "athermic" windscreens fitted on many modern cars, it warned. These windscreens contain a metallic compound designed to keep the car cooler in hot weather, but which will also block electronic devices such as toll tags.
In such cases, the tag must be fitted in the area indicated by black dots.
Up to 45,000 further tags have been issued by other operators.
The NRA said unregistered motorists using the M50 to go to Dublin airport will have to follow the same procedures as all others, even if they are flying out of the State.
Toll payments can be made in cash at two newsagents in the airport or customers can call eFlow to make a payment by debit or credit card.
If they fail to pay by 8pm on the day following their journey, they face an administrative charge of € 3.
After 14 days, a further € 40 fine is imposed, and after 56 days, another € 100 fine is imposed.
In relation to rental cars, the NRA said it had advised companies in the sector of the available options.
"Our view is that video registering is a good solution for car-rental operators and they can check the account balance online when the customer returns the vehicle and bill accordingly.
"Ultimately it is a matter for the car-rental companies and their customers and the terms and conditions of the customer contract."
There were major traffic delays on the M50 yesterday following a crash involving a truck.
The M50 northbound was blocked and then reduced to one lane for some two hours following the late-morning crash near the Finglas junction.
The closed northbound lane reopened shortly before 2pm after the scene was cleared.
There were serious tailbacks on the M50, M1 and other ancillary roads. The AA said the worst traffic jam extended over 13km on the M50 to the Ballymount junction. It had advised drivers to avoid the M50 or to leave the motorway.
Gardaí diverted traffic off the M50 at the Red Cow junction, and access to the motorway from the N3 Navan and N4 Lucan roads was blocked in a bid to ease traffic congestion.
The ban on five-axle HGVs entering Dublin city centre was also lifted for about two hours in an attempt to ease delays. It was reinstated by 2pm.
