further hikes on toll fares... are commuters feeling the pinch?

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

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SPEAKER_2 (0:45)

The Hard Shoulder with Ciara Kelly and Shane Colman. On Newstalk with Kia.

Ciara Kelly (0:54)

From the first of January next year, toll prices are set to rise for commuters who are using motorways around the country and the Port Tunnel. M50 users in car with a tag or a video account will see a 10 cent increase, while car users without a tag will see a 20 cent increase. And joining us now to discuss all of this is Ger Hyland, President of the Irish Road Haulage Association and Jason Cullen, Chairperson of the Dublin Commuter Coalition. I will come to you first of all, Ger, I suppose your reaction, tell us what you make of these new hikes on in terms of tolls around the country.

Ger Hyland (1:31)

Our reaction is really one of disbelief.

The government on one hand in the budget were trying to support people in transport, people with cars and here we have another arm of the state trying to take money off of us once again. The M50 generated 216.3 million in the last year with the toll in the tunnel generating a further 35 million.

For us to cross that M50 is costing us 8 euro every time we go across the toll. It's going to add another 30 cents to the transport costs on the M50 every time we use toll. That 30 cents, we can't absorb these costs. They are going to have an inflationary effect. They will be seen in the shopping basket. And it's time the government reigned in KII here. All the toll roads in Ireland are showing exorbitant profits. And here we have an arm of the state absolutely price gouging the general mortars and the transport community.

Ciara Kelly (2:49)

Okay, I should just say that the TII Transport Infrastructure Ireland has said that this increase is aligned with the approach adopted in recent years and reflects the increasing volumes of traffic being experienced in the southbound peak period and the requirement to preserve capacity for heavy good vehicles accessing Dublin Port. They are saying that's the reason that the tunnel is being increased. Do you accept that, that they're trying to make way for the likes of your own members?

Ger Hyland (3:15)

Absolutely, absolutely. They might be doing something in the Port Tunnel with the costs, but certainly not on the M50.

I was on the M50 earlier on today. It was an absolute car park.

It's just shooting fish in a barrel. You have people sitting in queues on that M50 to hand over money to the state. And here we have an arm of the state putting an extra price on it. It's not fit for purpose. If we were getting value for money, you might see some paint in it. But the TII will put up the argument here that they're putting prices up to match inflation.

Ciara Kelly (3:58)

They would, and they have. They said that their tolls are regulated through an inflation adjustment mechanism.

Ger Hyland (4:05)

Yeah, that's fine. But you have to take into account the organic growth in traffic over the last number of years.

The money that TII are generating from the additional traffic that's on our roads, I don't see why there should be any reason to put tolls up at this stage.

Ciara Kelly (4:26)

Well, perhaps that is the very reason. What about the argument that if the tolls go up, more people will try and avoid the M50. They might choose what are sometimes colloquially known as rat runs or they might go round the way rather than take the M50 because it's going to cost them more money. And that might take some of the traffic and the congestion off the M50. In other words, you know, raise the price unless people might use it.

Ger Hyland (4:51)

Well, that's fine, but it might rain tomorrow too.

They don't have any other option only to use the M50. There's nobody paying 14 and 15 euro for the pleasure of using the Dublin Port Tunnel unless they really have to. So it's gone to the stage now that they can't get around the city. Take our industry, for example, the transport industry. We do not have any other option, only the M50.