Toll hikes on the M50 described as “highway robbery”

A local councillor has described the planned price hikes for the M50 from next January “as highway robbery”.

There will be a 10% increase for cars that do not have a toll tag travelling along the M50, bringing car journeys up to €3.80 per trip with similar hikes for buses, coaches and lighter goods vehicles.

Heavy goods vehicles also face price increases.

Aontú Cllr Ellen Troy, a candidate in Dublin West for the upcoming general election, has rounded on the government saying it is “mind bending” how they continue to extract money from commuters.

“This is such a blatantly unfair and insidious tax, given this motorway is a main arterial route, the busiest in Ireland, it is hard to avoid it,” she said.

“160,000 thousand hard pressed commuters are being forced to pay for these punitive tolls, notably those who get up early to go to work and who are already paying through the nose for everything.

“The government is hiking up these tolls in January when people are feeling the pinch more than ever.

“The M50 is a state-owned infrastructure, and the commuting public has already paid for their use of it.

“Well paid for it at this stage. It is absolutely mind bending how the Government is continuing to extract money from the commuting public for the ‘privilege’ of using it.

“It will now cost up to €8 a day for cars that don’t have a tag; that is a huge charge when multiplied by several journeys, especially for people who are already grappling with spiraling costs and it’s one they simply can’t avoid as they have to use the M50 to get to and from work.”

“I use it myself to get to and back from work; If I had to leave Castleknock to go to Sandyford where I work without using the M50 it would take me hours.

“Using it takes me twenty minutes and this is what angers me the most on behalf of the people in my area; the government knows people have to use it, they are sitting ducks for these price increases.

“In my constituency of Dublin West, in Estate Agents use proximity to the M50 is used as a selling point.

“Tolls and fuel tax are not uncontrolled costs. These are impositions that the Government is directly in charge of.

The M50 took in €190 million last year.

“We are living through an horrendous cost of living crisis and while the Government is using weasel words of fake sympathy for people, its actions are directly in contravention of this.

“During Construction of major road projects, we were told by FF and FG governments that the tolls were only to cover the cost of construction and maintenance.

“We know that’s not true. Let’s be honest, the tolls are now being used as a stick to stop people driving.

“The Greens are strategically increasing the price of energy, fuel and tolls during this cost-of-living crisis to reduce the demand for energy and push people off the roads.

“But they are doing so without giving people any real alternative.

“Most people can’t switch fuel sources.

“Most people can’t leave their car behind.

“Most people can only suffer the suffocating financial squeeze with the help of maxed out overdrafts, loans or money lenders”