Motorists are getting 'crucified at every turn' with a second hike in motorway toll charges in less than a year.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has confirmed it is increasing tolls on the M50, the Dublin Port Tunnel and eight national roads from January.
M50 increases will depend on the type of vehicle and whether a person is using a tag, a video account or is unregistered.
A number of callers criticised the changes on Lunchtime Live. Damien told the show he avoids all the toll roads.
"I do not use them, and I will not use toll roads at all," he said.
"I drew the line and I said I'm being taken for a fool.
"If the East Link was opened in 1984 by Garret FitzGerald, God rest him, I don't see why we're in still paying anything into that.
"That's just one bugbear.
"I know my route and I know to avoid tolls, and I don't see why the motorist should be crucified at every turn."
'No reason why these are being tolled'
Gerard said he can't understand why the toll roads are being treated as luxuries.
"These are all major national routes, three's no reason why these are being tolled," he said.
"The main roads to Galway, Cork or to Sligo these are now what we require these days to get there.
"Yet it seems the Government portrays these as somehow a luxury and therefore we should pay a special price for using them, and if you don't want to pay for the luxury then go on to one of the other roads.
"That undoes the whole idea in the first place."
Gerard also questioned about the increases being tied to the Consumer Price Index.
"The Consumer Price Index manages the price of a tin of beans or a loaf of bread or a pint of milk.
"What's that got to do with the costs of the motorway tolls, particularly given the fact that during COVID they took all their staff away.
"They reduced their costs by taking the staff away, making them entirely automated, and now in fact they just increased them not for any other reason than because they can," he added.
Dublin Port Tunnel charges for cars are also increasing from €10 to €12 during peak hours.
TII has said the increase is to preserve capacity for heavy goods vehicles accessing Dublin Port.
