Toll increases will hit commuters by close to €100 over a year, and five times more for hauliers

A heavy user of Ireland’s toll road network will be worse off by close to €100 over the next 12 months following the announcement that costs are going up by between 10 and 20 cent per journey.

Hauliers will be hit significantly harder, with a return trip from Galway to Dublin likely to cost an additional €3, pushing the annual costs for many truck drivers up by in excess of €500.

The Department of Transport and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) confirmed that the standard regulated toll will rise in line with inflation from July 1st. All tolls on the national road network are regulated through inflation and cannot go above inflation, it said.

There are 10 toll roads across the State including eight operating under a “public-private partnership” (PPP) model and the M50 and Dublin Port Tunnel which are run on behalf of the TII.

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The toll increases will go up to their maximum rate due to inflation on the M50 and the eight PPP routes but there will be no increase on the Dublin Port Tunnel.

The increase will see tolls on the M50 climb by 30 cent for cars without tag to €3.50 while cars with tags will face a 20 cent increase to €2.30. On other tolled roads, the rate of increase will be between 10 and 20 cent.

A commuter who uses the M50 to travel to and from work five days a week will be worse off by around €90 when annual leave and public holidays are discounted.

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“I think it is something that will stick in people’s throat, particularly the M50 increases given the delays that people routinely face on it,” said the AA’s Paddy Comyn. “Coming on the back of the fuel price increases and other inflationary pressures it is a case of a death by thousand cuts rather than a tornado,” he added.

He accepted that the increases were inevitable having been deferred last year. “The excise increases and the toll road increases were two cans that have been kicked down the road and unfortunately the kicking has stopped now.”

He said that for many non-commercial road users the increases “will not be ruinous” but warned that professional drivers would feel the sting more.

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“I would have concern for the hauliers and for other motorists if professional drivers decide to avoid the tolls on a road like the M50 and use other roads That would lead to much more difficult traffic conditions and have other serious knock-on implications.”

Eugene Drennan, of the Irish Road Haulers Association, expressed dismay at the price increases and said they would unfairly target drivers travelling across Ireland from west to east and back.

“They will hit between three and four tolls on each journey and will see their annual costs climb by over €500 a year,” he said. “It’s an extra charge on the people living further from Dublin and in particular it discriminates against people in the west,” he added and questioned why such an increase would be granted “just as inflation starts to turn”.