Stopping and paying the toll fee at westlink is exposing motorcyclists to increasing danger, argues Patricia Weston
While motorists gather to complain about the rising charges on the Westlink toll bridge, it's worth remembering that road tolls can also pose a serious risk for motorcyclists.
"Safety is a big concern for bikers when using the tolls," according to Linda O'Loideoin of the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) which represents over 30,000 motorcyclists in Ireland.
When bikers stop at the toll, they have to remove their motorcycle gear in order to make the payment. "Cashiers sometimes insist bikers remove their helmets which not only slows down the queue but can also be dangerous and can cause accidents," says Linda O'Loideoin.
"One of our members was hit on the head by a barrier at a toll," she adds.
"He was asked to remove his helmet, and by the time he put all his gear back on the barrier had timed out and he was hit with the barrier," she continues.
As smaller vehicles, bikes take up less room on the road and are less likely to cause as much wear and tear to the road they are paying to use.
According to MAG: "The fee for the M50 didn't increase for bikers last time around. They are still charged 80 cent but they shouldn't have to pay at all because they take up less space, are an environmentally friendly mode of transport, the increased use of which would vastly reduce damage to the infrastructure."
In order to reduce the toll risk for bikers, MAG has called for a dedicated motorcycle lane. "Bikers are smaller and less visible, so it would be safer if they had their own lane," she says.
According to a spokesperson for the National Road Tolls (NRT), "A dedicated lane was considered for bikers in consultation with the gardaí, but it was decided not to go ahead with one."
Philip Rogan frequently drives his lorry through the M50 toll: "Motorcyclists are using the road like the rest of us, so they should pay.
"I use the road for work and I don't see why the likes of motorcycle couriers who are also using the road for work should get away without paying," he believes.
Senator Shane Ross has called for a removal of tolls for all drivers because he thinks they are clogging up Dublin's traffic. "Toll barriers should be removed for everyone, including motorcyclists," he says.
Motorcyclist Jim Leonard thinks "tolls are not a safe environment for bikers". He says "I don't agree with tolls full stop; I think they are a double taxation, and they should be scrapped for everyone.
"In my experience they are unsafe because you cannot go through the express lane and you have big articulated lorries behind you who might not be able to see bikers ahead."
"Also you have to take off your biking gear to pay and this slows down the queue and causes drivers to become agitated. I've even had cars nudge my bike from behind because they were losing patience."
Motorcyclist Kevin Sheehan would also love to see the tolls scrapped: "As there are no ashtrays on my bike to pop my toll money in, I have to pull up, find neutral, take off my gloves, search through my pockets for my change, all the while the queue of cars just gets longer and longer."
According a spokesperson for the NRT, "Some bikers tape their toll money to their gloves or to their petrol tank, and there is an increasing uptake in motorcyclists using the easy-pass system. Bikers can put the eazy-pass card in their pockets, and it can be read by the cashier from there."
The NRT is also considering introducing an eazy-pass incentive scheme for motorcyclists to make it easier for them to go through the tolls.