Commuters are “getting fleeced” by toll increase that came into effect yesterday, according to the leader of Aontú.

On The Pat Kenny Show today, Deputy Peadar Tóibín said it is a tactic by Government to force people out of cars.

Charges have increased by 20c on the M1, M7, M8, N6, N25 at Waterford and the N18 Limerick Tunnel up to €2.30.

The M3 has gone up by 10c to €1.70; the M4 has gone up 20c to €3.40 and the Dublin Port Tunnel has gone up €2 for cars at peak times.

It was the second increase in tolls brought into effect by Transport Infrastructure Ireland in the last year.

Unfair increase

Deputy Tóibín said it was an unfair increase considering the high cost of living in Ireland.

“I just can’t believe the Government,” he said.

“On the one hand, they are giving tea and sympathy to people in a cost-of-living crisis, and on the other hand are actually jacking up costs for people to deal with.

“There are hundreds of thousands of people in the commuter belts, in commuter hell on a daily basis travelling two to three hours round trips to and from work.

“For the pleasure of doing that they are getting fleeced by the Government in tolls on a daily basis.”

The M50 motorway in Dublin. Image: Peter Cavanagh / Alamy Stock Photo

The Meath West TD said increases in tolls on the M50, in particular, were “so frustrating”.

“It’s the busiest road in the country with 120,000 people travelling it on a daily basis,” he said.

“The Government owns the M50, they are not in any way contractually obliged to put up the cost of this particular road in terms of tolls at all.

“In the last 10 years, they have actually taken €1.4 billion in tolls off those roads.

“In many ways, the M50 bridges are a cash cow for the Government and they are milking it to beat the band.”

Intention

Deputy Tóibín said the latest batch of toll increases is intended to stop people driving cars.

“I believe that the whole reason the Government is doing this is part of the whole Green Party policy of trying to beat people out of cars,” he said.

“I have no problem with the idea of trying to get people into public transport as it’s more sustainable in the long run.

“For many people, there isn’t a public transport alternative. It isn’t fair and it’s punitive in the long run.”

Entrance to the Port Tunnel in Dublin, 31-05-2017. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews

Deputy Tóibín said he doesn’t believe the Government when they say toll increases are to combat congestion.

“It’s hard to buy the issue of congestion because on many occasions the M50 is congested,” he said.

“If you travel near the M50 at peak hours you’re likely to be in crawling traffic for some of that.

“That’s the really frustrating element for people who are being taxed to crawl on a congested road on the M50.”

Capital projects

The Aontú leader said building more capital projects would be more effective in lessening traffic than tolls would.

“This country has a major problem in delivering capital projects,” said Deputy Tóibín

“The Government has spent €300m on the Metrolink to date and a shovel hasn’t been put into the ground yet.

“That would be the logic in decongesting the Port Tunnel rather than taxing families.”

He added that the bus system in Ireland “isn’t what it needs to be” and needs to be revamped to give commuters a little help.

Main image: Deputy Peadar Toibin at the launch of his Aontu Party in Dublin in 2019. Picture by: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie.