GOVERNMENT MINISTERS HAVE today defended the increase to the M50 toll despite mounting criticism that the motorway is no longer fit for purpose.

Last month, Transport Infrastructure Ireland stated that the motorway is “at capacity” and that there is almost nothing more it can do to address traffic gridlock.

In October, it was announced that tolls on the Dublin Port Tunnel, M50 motorway, and some national roads would increase from 1 January.

On the M50, there is a 10-cent increase for all cars registered with tag or video, while buses, coaches and lighter goods vehicles will also see charges increase by 10-cent, registered or not.

Asked about the increase today, Finance Minister Simon Harris and Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers both said they were in favour of the increase. 

“TII calibrate the tolling on the basis of projected maintenance cost of running the overall primary road network in any given year, and to see high quality maintenance across our primary road network we shouldn’t let that deteriorate in any given year.

“It’s important again to have that income stream which would be taken from somewhere else if we weren’t to have that sustainable management and reinvestment into the primary road network,” Minister Chambers said. 

He added that he accepts that for motorists and commuters it is an “additional pressure” but said at the same time, we have to fund and maintain the road network. 

Chambers said that over the coming years, the Government will be advancing “major” projects to reduce congestion and improve road networks across the country.

Echoing the comments, Minister for Finance Simon Harris said he agreed completely with Minister Chambers and added that the Government is “urgently” addressing infrastructure delivery and “prioritising” public transport and the road network. 

Last week, Sinn Féin’s transport spokesperson Pa Daly argued that commuters “can’t take any more” and called for the increased toll to be scrapped. 

“Drivers are already paying the highest prices for petrol and diesel in the EU, insurance prices are through the roof now, and now this government hits drivers with another round of toll hikes,” Daly said.

He added that increasing tolls “does not even work as evidenced by the increasing number of log jams we have recently seen along many of these routes, in particular the M50”.