Transport Infrastructure Ireland is set to increase road tolls by up to 20c per trip, for the second time in six months.

This morning, The Business Post reported that the transport body will introduce the price hike in January 2024, based on an inflation rate of 6%.

Drivers have already been hit with increases of up to 10 per cent to drive on some of the country's main roads since last month TII prepares to launch the MetroLink.

Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Transport, Martin Kenny, said Government needs to intervene.

"We simply have a situation where it's a win-win all the way for the private sector, particularly for the big investment companies that are involved in all of this," he said.

"Government needs to take a harder line to ensure that we have got a fair deal for everyone that's out there.

"We can still provide quality public infrastructure and roads and rail and all the rest of it and do it in a way that does not become a gravy train for people who are well-connected investment companies."

Mr Kenny said a toll freeze should be considered.

"Some of these road contracts are near their end, and we need to look at that and see can they be terminated," he said.

Spending

In July, Newtalk's investigation revealed that Irish drivers have shelled out almost €1 billion on road tolls since the start of 2020.

The Transport Infrastructure Ireland figures showed that €117 million was collected between January and April of this year alone.

Nearly half of that spend was on Dublin’s M50, with drivers spending €55 million in toll charges on the ring road in the first four months of the year.

Drivers in Dublin also spent over €8 million using the Port Tunnel in that time.

Meanwhile, €11 million was spent by motorists using the M4 Kilcock to Kinnegad motorway.

In the previous three years, drivers spent €865 million in road tolls across the country.

The toll spend increased every year from 2020 to 2022 as the country reopened following the COVID pandemic.