Barrier-free tolls may be removed after repayments made

The new barrier-free tolls on the M50 will only come into operation when enough money has been raised to pay for upgrade works and to pay off National Toll Roads (NTR).

The Department of Transport has confirmed that the westlink toll plaza will be removed in two years and is investigating ways to raise the Eu100 million needed to pay for the upgrade works on the M50. The Department is also attempting to pay off NTR for the loss of the Westlink.

The Department has indicated that once these two payments have been made, the new M50 barriers could be removed.
A decision has not yet been taken on how much M50 motorists will be tolled after 2008 with a National Roads Authority study group due to report back to the Department of Transport in two years' time.

The study group is being established by the NRA to investigate and advise the Department on the most appropriate tolling system to install on the M50. It is expected that this will be a barrier-free system which will use vehicle identification technology to toll via electronic tags fitted to every vehicle.

New legislation will be needed to allow for the prosecution of drivers who try to evade the new toll.