A delegation of campaigners opposed to the M1 toll is to travel to Dáil Éireann on Wednesday, October 25th to engage with politicians about their concerns regarding the Drogheda toll which made a profit of €8.1m in 2021 for the toll operators Celtic Roads Group.
Motorists in Drogheda have been complaining for many years about having to pay a toll to cross or enter their own town and there can be little doubt that the M1 toll is one of the factors preventing more companies from establishing a presence here.
The situation has been exacerbated in recent weeks by the closure of the Obelisk Bridge and the campaign by former Mayor of Drogheda Frank Godfrey has gained momentum as motorists who have been paying the toll twice a day for decades are now calling for a complete end to the toll.
Frank believes that the time is right to develop a major campaign involving motorists across Drogheda, East Meath and South Louth as well as community, political and business representatives to join forces and demand an end to what he describes as “this discriminatory toll”.
“In the Greater Drogheda area there are thousands who are condemned to long and costly journeys to secure work or attend college, given the failure of the IDA and other State agencies to provide jobs locally” Frank said.
“If these motorists choose to avoid the M1 tolls, they face traffic congestion and in particular, the community of Julianstown village suffers with tens of thousands of vehicles crawling through the village especially on weekday mornings and evenings with the air pollution, congestion and road safety risks that poses” Frank added.
“The closure of the Obelisk Bridge now adds further inconvenience and cost for another substantial group of motorists – and they are being treated appallingly by Louth and Meath County Councils along with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), the toll operators Celtic Roads Group and Minister Eamon Ryan.”
He has asked that anyone interested in the campaign, especially those affected directly by the Drogheda toll, to text their name; email address and mobile number to him at 086 606 0261 so they can be kept up to date regarding this growing campaign.
