Toll charges to increase across Ireland this weekend, ‘highly likely’ to rise again in six months

The forecasting of toll charge increases next year are based on "preliminary calculations" by Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

Ahead of toll charges on the majority of Irish toll roads increasing this weekend, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has revealed that more rises are "highly likely" in six months. The latest price hikes - which will take effect from Saturday, 1 July - were initially scheduled to be introduced at the start of 2023 but were delayed by the Government due to the cost-of-living crisis. TII has said that changes in toll prices are driven by the current rate of inflation, highlighting that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 8.6% between August 2021 and August 2022. There are 10 toll roads on the national road network, eight of which are operated under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. The other two – the M50 and the Dublin Port Tunnel – are operated directly on behalf of TII. TII has said the Dublin Port Tunnel will not be increasing its tolls in 2023. Toll prices for motor cars (up to eight passengers and a driver) on the M50 will rise by either 20 cent or 30 cent, depending on the payment method. Tag users will see the costs increase from €2.10 to €2.30, while for those captured on video, costs will rise from €2.70 to €2.90. Unregistered cars will see an increase from €3.20 to €3.50. On top of this, the price for goods vehicles using the motorway will increase by between 20 cent and 60 cent, depending on the payment method and the size of the vehicle. As for the tolls operated under a PPP model, the PPP companies submitted their toll charge calculations as part of their annual toll plans. TII reviewed the submissions and concur with the maximum toll charges calculated. Using a car on the M4 motorway will cost an additional 20 cent, going from €3.00 to €3.20, while doing so on the other seven toll roads will cost 10 cent more. "Toll revenue is used for purposes including motorway maintenance, toll collection and operations, and for the maintenance of the wider national road network," TII said earlier this month in a statement. Meanwhile, speaking on Wednesday (28 June) at the Oireachtas transport committee, TII chief Peter Walsh explained that the toll rates applicable for 2024 under the relevant bylaws will not be known until mid-Sepember. However, he added that preliminary calculations indicate that any increase in the CPI in the 12 months before August 2023 greater than 3% will lead to toll increases for "all vehicle subcategories, save for motorbikes, on all toll roads". "CPI figures for the nine month period from August 2022 to May 2023 currently stand at 4.6%," Walsh then said.

"It is therefore considered highly likely that toll rates will increase in January 2024."

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