| Shannon tunnel to cost €1.40 a time |
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| Tuesday, 02 September 2008 14:26 | |
 CLARE drivers looking forward to using the new Shannon tunnel will pay €1.40 each time for the privilege.When finished, the road under the river - which aims to take 22,157 vehicles a day off the mid-west roads - will be tolled, it has been confirmed. The bill for drivers who use the tunnel every day, minus four weeks holidays from work a year, will be €672 per annum. Critics of the toll road system are already pointing out that hard-pressed motorists and PAYE earners have to earn €1,344 pre-tax just to pay their toll-bills. The N7 is being built at a cost of €325 million and is expected to bring in revenue of €15.2 million per annum, with operating costs of €3.96 million. The cost to drivers of the toll system is being highlighted after the start at the weekend of eFlow Barrier-Free Tolling on the M50 around Dublin. Since midnight on Friday, motorists using the section of the M50 between Junction 6 (N3 Blanchardstown) and Junction 7 (N4 Lucan) are liable to pay a toll but there are now no toll barriers or tolling booths so there is no cash payment facility available. Drives have a number of options to pay the toll. They can register and pay for an electronic tag, which means paying a €2 toll each time. But Clare drivers, who only use the M50 occasionally, are more likely to avail of the pay-as-you-go method, which costs €3 a pop. Once an unregistered car goes through the toll, the number plate is recorded and the driver has until 8am the following day to pay the toll. Toll payments can be made at payzone outlets nationwide and these include Mace, Spar, Centra, Gala, Topaz and Esso. The unregistered motorist must ask the cashier to pay the toll, provide vehicle registration details and pay the requested toll amount. A receipt is provided outlining the transaction details. Payments can be made where you see the Payzone logo or you can search for a Payzone location on www.payzone.ie. Retailers who provide the Payzone service have been warned that they are not to impose extra handling charges, which they are legally entitled to, or they will be stripped of the service. Head of the Public Private Partnership Unit, which is responsible for the tolls, Hugh Creegan said that the NRA will “not tolerate” any imposition of surcharges. |