Motorists could face more road tolls
Motorists could soon face more toll roads, Transport Minister Seamus Brennan warned today.
He said additional toll roads might be necessary to fund future developments.
The Minister confirmed that there would be charges to use one under-construction highway, a bypass of two congested towns in Co Meath – being built in a public-private partnership – and said other projects were planned with similar financing arrangements.
Speaking at the announcement of seven major new road projects to start this year, Mr Brennan refused to rule out the possibility of a series of routes being tolled.
But he also stressed that tolling was not necessarily seen as the best way forward for all road developments, declaring: “The Government will be putting the tolling policy under constant review.
“It is not a panacea for spending, but some projects have been great value for the taxpayer. However, others have not, so we will be reviewing it carefully.”
The minister said the Government would also be looking into putting tolls on roads already paid for by taxpayers, and added: “We may put tolls on roads already funded by taxpayers in order to fund future developments.”
Mr Brennan said the pace of national road building in Ireland would increase significantly over the coming years, because of the completion of major projects such as the Dublin Port Tunnel and a moderation in construction inflation.
He pledged: “Let there be no doubt about our commitment to ensuring that the country has a national road network necessary to support its ongoing growth and development.”
