FINES TOTALLING €440,000 were issued to 21 M50 toll evaders—including one driver with more than a thousand unpaid trips—after they failed to appear in court.

A mixture of car, van and truck drivers did not turn up at Dublin District Court but were hit with penalties ranging from €15,000 to €25,000 in their absence today.

One motorist – the only one who attended to plead guilty – was fined €200 and ordered to pay another €150 in prosecution costs after the judge noted that he still had just over 700 outstanding tolls racked up over four years.

Airport baggage handler David Molloy, 58, of The Wood, Millbrook, Dublin 24, had paid for 520 journeys and became frustrated by 1,150 written warnings arriving by post.

However, the debts kept mounting with eFlow, which operates the barrier-free tolling system for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, and the court prosecution followed.

Molloy was apologetic, telling the court he had since scrapped his car, and “I’m no longer driving, I use public transport now”.

Judge Halpin said the tolls were necessary for road maintenance, but praised Molloy for turning up “to face the music” while most did not.

A woman who made zero payments toward her 1,032 tolls and did not appear in court was fined €25,000.

The list featured three van drivers and a lorry owner. The no-show defendants were also ordered to pay €350 costs within three months.

In an earlier list of similar prosecutions, Judge Halpin had recently commented that 90% of motorists do not engage with the court proceedings, and due to their intransigence, others had to pay for the maintenance of the roads. 

He explained that this was the reason for the severe fines frequently imposed on defendants who do not engage.

Prosecuting counsel Thomas Rice (instructed by Pierse Fitzgibbon Solicitors) said each defendant faced five sample counts for journeys from December to May, and their cases could proceed in their absence.

The prosecution witness confirmed each vehicle’s ownership records, the number of passages, and payment history.

There was also evidence showing they were the registered owners at the time.

The court also saw images of all the vehicles passing the toll gantry.

The court can impose fines of up to €5,000 per charge and a six-month sentence.

However, the motorway operator’s practice is to prosecute habitual non-payers.

The standard toll for a private car is now €3.80, payable before 8pm the following day; otherwise, a penalty is added.

Surcharges ratchet up after 56 days, followed by warning letters and court proceedings if it remains unpaid. 

Commercial and goods vehicle owners pay more, and registered owners are liable.