The much-hated M1 toll was meant to reduce traffic, especially HGVs, in Drogheda and surrounding villages but it has had the opposite effect of increasing the traffic chaos.
Over the years there have been many calls from many different quarters to abolish the rip-off charges but successive governments have consistently ignored the appeals.
Today it has been revealed that Drogheda commuters are facing road toll hikes in June after the Minister for Transport confirmed to Deputy Ged Nash in the Dáil that the six-month suspension of the toll increases will not be extended.
Deputy Ged Nash TD pushed the Minister for Transport to reveal his plans for road toll charges after intended hikes were suspended in January.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the toll road companies agreed a freeze of toll road charges for the first six months of this year but now the companies are saying that inflation is hitting their bottom line.
The Minister for Transport has now confirmed in the Dáil, the deal struck between the TII and eight PPP companies who operate toll roads around the country, including the M1 toll at Drogheda, runs out at the end of June.
Deputy Nash was disappointed with the response from the Minister, to his pleas for a further toll freeze and said: “In a time where the cost-of-living is surging for people everywhere, the least we can expect is a freeze on these tolls which are already proving way too costly for daily commuters from towns like Drogheda and Dundalk to Dublin.
“The Minister says he has no formal consultative role in relation to tolls, yet his Department was able to get the TII and the toll companies to the table and agree a six-month freeze of the toll charges.
“I see no reason why the Minister cannot take the same course of action and at least seek agreement to freeze the tolls until the end of the year.”
The Louth and East Meath TD said: “The Minister is trying to pass the buck on this issue. If the political will existed for a further toll freeze, it would happen.
“The toll companies are swimming in profits and I simply don’t buy that inflation has hit their bottom line to such a degree that a toll hike on struggling commuters is justified.”
Deputy Nash added: “I am bitterly disappointed that the Minister has no plans to seek a further extension of the toll-freeze and I will continue to push this issue from now until June, in an effort save Drogheda and Dundalk commuters from rising tolls.”
