State gave toll bridge company €6.4m in two years

National Toll Roads, which operates Dublin's Westlink toll bridges, received State subsidies amounting to €6.4 million in the period 2002 to 2003 it has emerged.

The company was paid the money during the construction of the second Westlink bridge, Details of the payments, €2.9 million in 2002 and €3.5 million in 2003, are contained in the National Roads Authority annual report for 2004, to be published today.

Under the agreement between the State and National Toll Roads, the company is entitled to an increase in rates each year. However, during construction of the second bridge the State sought a zero increase for motorists because of disruption and was told this could only happen if the State paid a "shadow toll" for each vehicle using the bridge.

After the shadow toll period ended National Toll Roads increased toll charges for 2004, raising the fee for cars by 20 cent to €1.50, which it said at the time was to fund construction work on the second bridge.

This month the company raised the tolls again, this time bringing the cost per car to €1.80.

The number of vehicles using the bridge has exceeded 100,000 vehicles per day but National Toll Roads said the annual average daily traffic is more like 85,000 vehicles per day.

While the National Roads Authority report states that the toll company "was to be fully recouped for the cost of constructing the second bridge through an increase in the car toll rate, approximately 20 cent", the company itself maintained the subsidies were used for the construction of the bridge.

Sources close to the Minister for Transport, Mr Cullen, said the issue of whether the shadow tolls were considered part of the annual increase or funding for the new bridge "was academic".

NTR has also initiated discussions with the State about possible compensation, should roadworks during the upgrading of the M50 reduce the daily traffic across the bridges.

The source close to Mr Cullen said "the issue of subsidies for disruption has huge implications for work on the upgrading of the M50".

Increasing the motorway to three lanes, is due to start this summer.

"Subsidies may be required again because the public won't want to pay an annual increase in toll charges if their journeys are disrupted by roadworks." But unless National Toll Roads have a sudden change of heart they will insist on their annual increase.

"The company has already raised the issue of disruption on the M50 due to the upgrade, and its impact on their activity," said the source.

Yesterday the National Roads Authority decided to bring forward plans to fit crash barriers to the M50. The work, which was advocated by the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Mr Ivor Callely, is to start immediately