[Article] Taxpayer will have to foot bill for M3 toll shortfall

[ThomasJ]

Irish Independent
http://www.independent.ie/national-n...l-1855553.html

By Michael Brennan Political Correspondent


Monday August 10 2009

TAXPAYERS will have to compensate the operators of the controversial M3 motorway if the number of vehicles using it falls below target.

It is understood this is the first time such a guaranteed minimum toll income has been agreed.

There will be downward pressure on the numbers using the M3, which opens early next year, because drivers could face €11.20-a- day in tolls and there will also be a new rail service to Navan.

The Dunboyne to Clonsilla leg of the rail link to Dublin opens next year, with the full line coming on stream in 2015.

The 'minimum traffic level' clause for the M3 was included in the contract for the €650m motorway through Co Meath. It means the State will have to pay the toll operators, Eurolink, compensation if traffic flows (predicted at up to 60,000 drivers per day) fail to meet the agreed minimum target. But the National Roads Authority (NRA) has not revealed what this target is.

Labour transport spokesman Tommy Broughan warned the State might have to compensate Eurolink if the planned rail service persuaded drivers to abandon their cars.

"It seems to be running counter to what would be generally accepted public transport policy. From every point of view, it seems mad," he said.

There is no such 'minimum traffic' agreement for another toll road operated by the same company -- the Kinnegad-Kilcock section of the Dublin-Galway route.

The National Roads Authority said the minimum traffic target was "competitive" and was based on annual rather than weekly or monthly traffic levels. But it said it was unable to reveal it because the expert in that field was on holidays.

The re-opening of the Navan rail line is due to take place in two phases. The first is the 7.5km line from the planned M3 Interchange at Pace through to Clonsilla station, which is due to open next year.

Defended

It will include three new stations -- Hansfield, Dunboyne and Pace. There will be 15-minute peak hour frequency commuter services into Docklands Station in Dublin city centre. Phase two of the project will extend the rail line to Navan. It is due to be completed by 2015.

The NRA defended its decision to include a minimum traffic guarantee. A spokesman said they needed to attract as many bidders as possible to the project.

A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Noel Dempsey played down the risk of the State having to pay the toll operators compensation.

"The NRA is confident that, based on traffic volumes, the minimum traffic level will be realised," she said.

- Michael Brennan Political Correspondent

[Mark Gleeson]

Bet they will use this as another excuse not to open the line

If they build we will have pay the toll guys cash, can just see the cost of the railway grow further, even worse it will be the annual cost not the capital and the line is already dodgy on the running costs.

Of course if the railway was built there wouldn't be much need for the motorway, few bypasses and so on.

[ThomasJ]

Im disappointed but not suprised at this, just hope this doesn't affect the Pace part of the railway line.

Sadly though i can see this as an excuse not to open navan-pace

[Mark Hennessy]

My god, there is another tribunal in that piece of info alone.

Basically all the commuters in Meath are being shafted and denied any chance to leave their cars behind because the FF / PD govt guaranteed a minimum number of cars each to a private company

This is outrageous stuff, but not surprising.
Whoemever signed that deal needs to resign, but we don't have standards in this country....

Where are the Green party on this?

[Mark Gleeson]

The M3 is a class act, it will all come out in the wash some day

The EIS was class, it somehow missed the fact the railway crossed the M3 at Cannistown, right down to using photographs of bridges 3 miles away.

Remember spending a day shifting through it with Kevin former committee member, it took two seasoned engineering minded people 2 hours to finally confirm the point the line crossed.

[Colm Moore]

But it said it was unable to reveal it because the expert in that field was on holidays.

~Only one person can read the contract?

[sean]

Read this on boards ... merciful christ. Time to emigrate to a proper country, methinks. We probably don't know half of the shenanigans that surround the whole M3/Navan thing.