TD says motorists are ‘getting fleeced’ as road tolls increase for 2024

"The M50 bridges are a cash cow for the Government."

A TD has hit out at the increases in Irish road tolls as they come into effect for 2024, saying commuters are "getting fleeced". Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín appeared on the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk on Tuesday, January 2, claiming that the new toll increases are to "beat people out of cars". The increases came into effect on January 1, with charges raising by 20c on the M1, M7, M8, N6, N25 at Waterford and the N18 Limerick Tunnel up to €2.30. The M3 charge has increased by 10c to €1.70, with the M4 going up to 20c to €3.40 and the Dublin Port Tunnel increasing to €2 for cars at peak times. [caption id="attachment_787280" align="alignnone" width="1957"] (Rolling News)[/caption]

TD says motorists are 'getting fleeced' as road tolls increase for 2024

"I just can’t believe the Government," Deputy Tóibín said on the morning radio show. "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."

Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Greens introduce a New Year's Tax on workers and commuters.

They have raised tolls twice now in 7 months while also raising excise and carbon tax on commuters. Its time to park this government for good. pic.twitter.com/4OJRC0dBos — Peadar Tóibín TD (@Toibin1) January 1, 2024

The Meath West TD focused on the increases on the M50 in particular, saying that the price hikes on Ireland's busiest road, on which 120,000 people travel every day, were “so frustrating”. "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." Deputy Tóibín blamed the Green Party for the price hikes, saying they were part of their plan to "beat people out of cars." "I have no problem with the idea of trying to get people into public transport as it’s more sustainable in the long run," he said. "For many people, there isn’t a public transport alternative. It isn’t fair and it’s punitive in the long run." This is the second time that tolls have increased in less than a year. Charges on the majority of Ireland's national road network also rose in July 2023.

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