EVEN BEFORE barrier-free tolling is introduced on the M50 next week there have been calls for the abolition of tolls on the motorway.
Isme, the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association, and the National Conservation and Heritage Group yesterday became the latest groups to oppose the continued tolling of the road once the Westlink toll booths are removed.
Isme described the tolls as a stealth tax, and called for their phased abolition over two years.
The heritage group said the cost of buying out the Westlink should be funded by a small increase in road tax instead.
The removal of the barriers, scheduled to take place next Friday night, has prompted widespread predictions of chaos as confused motorists come to terms with the new system.
Even the National Roads Authority (NRA), which takes over responsibility for tolling, has predicted “teething problems” in the early months of operation.
Isme accused the Government of greed and opportunism in its handling of the issue which, the organisation said, would dramatically increase costs for businesses using the roadway.
It said the fee for many commercial vehicles was set to rise from €2.80 to €4.10 from August 30th, an increase of 46 per cent.
“It is bad enough to be informed that there will continue to be delays even after the introduction of a barrier-free toll system, but to also discover that businesses will be charged up to 46 per cent more for these tolls at a time when business costs are already going through the roof is unacceptable,” said Isme chief executive Mark Fielding.
He said the change in tariffs would cost over €1,300 a year for an average small business with two commercial vehicles using the M50.
Taxpayers had already paid €500 million to buy out the Westlink but were being “fleeced on the double” to pay for a road that was originally intended to simply bypass the city but instead has become a primary commuter route.
He said tolls should only be introduced where a viable alternative road existed, but this was not the case with the M50 until an outer orbital route was built.
The NRA has said that although barrier-free tolling was being introduced at midnight next Friday, it would be another two months before the building was torn down and replaced by four lanes of motorway.
Traffic-calming measures will remain in place on the Westlink as the toll canopy is being dismantled and the full benefits of the removal of tolling barriers will not be seen until the upgrade of the M50 is completed in 2010.
The NRA also expects teething problems arising from the operation of the new payment systems, such as the misreading of car number plates or the incorrect mounting of tags.
When the toll booths go, drivers who use the Westlink will not necessarily need a tag on their car. The alternatives are to register for a video account, buy a one-off tag or pay later.
Unregistered users have until midnight the day after they cross the Westlink to pay the toll, either through the eFlow website, in newsagents or by phone.
