New recovery service for M50 breakdowns

A dedicated vehicle recovery service to remove the dozen or so vehicles that break down each day along the M50 is to be introduced by the National Roads Authority.

The service will start running after September, and at least four recovery trucks will be available from 6am to 8pm weekdays, and from 9am to 6pm at weekends to remove broken-down cars, lorries and buses from the congested orbital route.

Outside of these times motorists will have to deal with any breakdowns themselves. The service will not extend to the Port Tunnel, which has its own vehicle recovery system.

A limited recovery service is currently being run by contractors on the M50 upgrade, but the National Roads Authority has decided to expand the service after consultations with gardaí.

Every day an average of 12 vehicles break down after running out of fuel, getting punctures or more serious mechanical faults, leading to added disruption on the heavily trafficked route. Rescued vehicles that cannot be quickly put back on the road will be towed to one of two sites along the M50 where they will be stored for a short period to allow the owner make arrangements to have them removed.

One site will be close to the West-Link toll bridge, and the other will be near Ballymount. There will be no fee for being towed, although drivers will have to make their own way home from these sites.

If car owners don't move their vehicle within the grace period they will face charges the NRA has said, although the exact level has yet to be decided. Drivers who find themselves stranded on the M50 will be able to use a freephone number, to be displayed on the road, to contact the recovery service for assistance.

The operators of the recovery service will also be notified by Dublin City Council - which has a 24-hour monitoring system of CCTV cameras along the route - and gardaí of any stranded vehicles that need to be removed.

Kieran Kelly, NRA engineering inspector said the service was currently out to tender, and that it was hoped the contract could be awarded at the end of the summer with the service beginning "immediately afterwards".

He declined to comment on the cost of the service while the tender process was ongoing.

He said the contract would run for an initial two-year period with an option for two more. This covers the timespan of the up-grade work on the M50.

Kelly said the recovery service would be a "congestion management tool" to try and keep traffic flowing during peak periods. "As part of the M50 upgrade the contractor is required to provide this service and currently there are two vehicles providing for it," he added.

The recovery vehicles will have access to the emergency lanes, meaning they can reach a vehicle causing an obstruction and remove it, even it the road is choked with traffic.

If the problem is simple to fix, such as running out of petrol or a flat tyre, the rescue service will endeavour to put the vehicle back on the road on the spot.

Kelly said reasons for breakdowns ranged from drivers simply running out of fuel, to vehicles overheating and minor collisions.

Last week The Irish Times reported that the number of large lorries using the M50 has increased by almost 45 per cent since Dublin City Council introduced a city centre ban on heavy goods vehicles.

Alongside the impact of the M50 upgrade, and the additional HGV traffic, the decision by Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for a 30,000sq metre Ikea store near the Ballymun interchange is also likely to increase congestion. The NRA objected to the plan.

Tenders for the recovery service close on August 21st.