The increase in fares on 10 routes across the country will “force carriers to avoid tolls as much as possible,” said the head of the Road Transport Association.
Fares on 10 routes across the country, including the M50 and the Dublin Tunnel, are set to rise in the new year.
Starting Jan. 1, tolls for most motor vehicles will increase by 20 cents per trip, and tolls for heavy vehicles will increase by 30 to 50 cents per trip.
Car tolls will increase by 20 cents to €2.30 on the M1, M7, M8, N6, N25 and N18 Limerick Tunnels in Waterford.
M3 will go up 10 cents to €1.70, M4 will go up 20 cents to €3.40.
Tolls on the Dublin Tunnel are set to rise by €2 for motorists during peak hours, with the Irish Transport and Infrastructure Authority saying the move is aimed at maintaining “capacity for heavy goods vehicles accessing the Port of Dublin”. He said that.
TII said the increase was based on an annual inflation rate of 6.3% recorded at the end of August.
On the M50, tolls increase by 20 to 40 cents depending on the type of vehicle and whether the driver uses a toll tag, video account or is unregistered.
For example, an unregistered car pays a toll of 3.70 euros, while a tagged driver pays 2.50 euros.
This is the second price increase in less than a year, after toll increases on most of the nation’s national highway networks were implemented in July.
In response to the new fare increase, the head of the Road Haulage Association said carriers will now have to pay nearly €7 per journey, which is far too high.
Eugene Drennan said: “We’re being asked to use the highways for safety reasons, but it’s a shame.”
“At 7 euros per truck, some trucks will pass through multiple toll plazas a day. This forces carriers to avoid toll plazas as much as possible. It’s simply too expensive.”