Shorthall Must Go

[Kevin K Kelehan]

Labour criticises NRA toll plan

30 January 2006 13:48
The Labour Party has criticised the decision by the National Roads Authority to toll the entire M50 motorway by 2008.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, Labour's Spokesperson on Transport, Roisin Shortall, said it was a way of squeezing money out of motorists.

Ms Shortall said the Government is making the right decision by buying out the licence to operate the M50 by National Toll Roads, but introducing tolls with charges based on the amount of the route used by the motorist will not work.

The Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, will officially mark the start of the M50 upgrade later today.

The first phase involves widening the motorway between the Ballymount interchange and the N4 interchange. It is due to be completed in two years' time.

Priced at €1bn it is the wrong decision; pay as use tolling is conversly the correct decision and Shorthall is a populist>>>> She along with Olivia Mitchell require being put out to grass

[Mark]

Priced at €1bn it is the wrong decision; pay as use tolling is conversly the correct decision and Shorthall is a populist>>>> She along with Olivia Mitchell require being put out to grass

I think Ms Shorthall is right Kevin. I dont think the M50 should be tolled at all. Intercity motorways yes but not the M50. I personally think this will be chaotic.

[Kevin K Kelehan]

Mark,

I take the contrary view; the National Inter-Urban Roads programme is well grounded in that it aims to link the major settlements around the country and facilitate accessibility generally for National and International trade and therefore boosts competitiveness.

The M50 is now seriously compromised in as an inter-urban bypass of Dublin for through traffic to the port and the north east to the southwest etc.

To ensure that national traffic is able to move freely commuters who shun public transport should pay for the congestion that they cause which I have little sympathy on given the low usage at many of the park and ride facilities available. Rosin Shorthall saying that up to €1bn should be used to fund a buyout from NTR and that at least some of the cost of the M50 update shouldn't be recouped from the users of the commuter sections i.e. that section South of Tallaght is populist.

Thankfully when the current admisnistration get the boot in two years it will be Eamon Ryan who gets Transport.

[Mark]

Eamon knows his stuff better than any of his comtemporaries out there.

Regarding the M50 couldnt you say its too early to 'penalise' people for driving in the direction of the M50 when there is clearly no suitable public transport alternative i.e. Orbital Metro/Interconnector etc. ?

[Kevin K Kelehan]

You could at a stretch but when the costs of the interconnector are €1.3bn and are being held up for 7-10 years lets say an average of 8.5 years how can the release of €1bn imminently to relieve one bottleneck be considered appropriate?

[Kevin K Kelehan]

The discussion has continued at

http://www.archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=4014&page=5

Any thoughts?

[PaulM]

One thing someone in work said, I'm not sure of his accuracy.

Govt. buy out NTR (€500m is the price I heard)

Govt. upgrade tolls on M50

Govt put tolls out to tender

NTR are allowed tender for new tolls.

NTR get new tolls.

This could mean the tax payer funds this buy out and NTR get all the tolls AGAIN.

Would it not be better to just give NTR the new toll points on the motor way and save €500m?

[Mark]

Decent primetime just covered the subject there. You might get it on the net soon.

All the usual heads, Conor Faughnen (sp?) AA, Eamon Ryan and Shane Ross. Honestly I could listen to these guys talk for hours. No mention of public transport.

[Mark Gleeson]

Eamon Ryan to be fair did mention the need for fast train as an alternative

[Mark]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0202/m50.html

"Jim Barry of National Toll Roads has been speaking to the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts.

He said the M50 was operating at full capacity at the moment, even before the 2,000 extra heavy goods vehicles begin to use it.

Mr Barry reiterated that the tollbridge was not the cause of congestion on the M50."

Nobody can, in their right mind, tell me that the tollbridge does not cause congestion. That is a blatant lie.

[James Shields]

Tongue firmly in cheek...

Nobody can, in their right mind, tell me that the tollbridge does not cause congestion.

No, the tollbridge does not cause congestion. All the cars waiting to cross the tollbridge cause the congestion.

[Kevin K Kelehan]

http://www.archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?p=45822#post45822