The barrier free tolling system being introduced on the M50 on the 30th August 2008 will cause severe headaches for the various car rental and car leasing companies in Ireland. There will no longer be toll booths along the M50 and no option to bay cash as the area is now designated a barrier free tolling area. This is going to prove to be a major headache for customers using the toll bridge who do not have a registered payment option, namely eflow or Eazy Pass.

Motorists who do not have a registered tag for their car can choose to pay their toll online, by the telephone or by using the Payzone. All tolls must be post paid by 8pm the following day and late / non payments of tolls will result in severe fines. This will cause a lot of issues for car hire and car leasing firms as the onus is on the driver to pay the toll by 8pm the following day. As the car passes through the barrier free tolling, cameras will take note of the registration plates of the vehicle and assign fines of up to €146 to any vehicle that has not paid.

According to the car rental companies, the introduction of barrier free tolling on the M50 will prove disastrous for Irish tourism. The car rental companies were left with very few options by the NRA. Some companies have advised the tourists to pay the tolls themselves however; tourists that fail to pay the tolls will be billed by the car rental firm with the addition of an administration charge.

Three quarters of all rental cars returned to depots at Dublin Airport will pass over the toll bridge during their rental period. The rental companies have demonstrated their frustration with the NRA on numerous occasions.

“We’re coming up against a disaster for tourists coming into the country. Some guy is going to fly in from the States, drive down to Kerry for a fortnight and come back to a big fine.” – Pat Geoghegan (Europcar)

Europcar were not prepared to act as a toll collector when it had not been provided with the information it required, so it would be advising customers to pay the toll themselves. Thrifty Car Rental Ireland is following a similar route and have criticised the NRA for its failure to take on board industry concerns. Thrifty Car Rental is advising all customers to pay the toll by 8pm the following day and will not accept payment of cash or credit card for tolls.

Hertz on the other hand are planning to register their fleet with eflow. Much of the Hertz fleet is leased on a short-term basis from hundreds of dealers around the country. The dealers are therefore the registered owners and any charge or fines would be communicated to them. By registering the fleet, the company can limit the toll to €2.50 and avoid the threat of fines.

“By the time we know about the charges the fines will have escalated. Hertz plan to apply each toll charge to each particular rental, plus a €2 administration fee to cover the cost of additional staff needed to carry out this work.” – Robert Kenny (Hertz)

The NRA has stated that they have advised the car rental companies of their options:

“Our view is that video registering is a good solution for car rental operators and they can check the account balance online when the customer returns the vehicle and bill accordingly.” – NRA

Motorists who dispute the tolls they are charged under this new system will have no option to appeal the tolls being charged. The toll charges are as follows:

- Tag registrations: €2
- Video Registration: €2.50
- Pay as You Go: €3

The Tag registration is being advertised as the cheapest option for passing through the barrier free toll, but the monthly administration charges and the need for an initial deposit of €40. Cars from outside Ireland are subject to the same rules as Irish registered vehicles. Non payment of a toll is an offense and the NRA, through a European enforcement agency, will look to recover all unpaid tolls and fines. The responsibility is with foreign motorists to make themselves aware of their responsibilities.

“For your fist year driving through the M50 toll, it will cost you a minimum of €40. If you go through more than 14 times in the year, your minimum cost will be €70. So in the time it takes you to spend €70 at the moment you will get through the toll 35 times compared to just 14 in the first year with the eFlow system.” Tom Doyle Talk

Related Stories
- Appeals system for toll disputes outlined
- Paying the new toll should be easy as 1-2-3
- Start of barrier-free tolling marred by call-centre glitch
- Car hire firms say new toll is ‘disaster’ for tourism
- Toll Bridge Fiasco

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