Most owners buy back cars seized over M50 toll non-payment

Most people who had cars seized this year after failing to pay M50 tolls ended up buying them back.

Most drivers pursued for non-payment of the tolls through the courts settled the matter with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) once they were contacted by their local sheriff.

There are 11 tolled roads in Ireland, but only the M50 is barrier free.

This year, almost 97 per cent of the 128,000 drivers a day who used the motorway paid their toll, mainly through registered toll accounts.

Motorists who did not pay were pursued by TII enforcement service provider, Pierse Fitzgibbon Solicitors, which issues demand notices.

Judgments obtained

This year they issued approximately 6,000 demands and 2,875 cases progressed to civil court, where judgments were obtained.

Some 486 judgments were sent to sheriffs around the country for collection this year after failure to pay.

Riobard Pierse of Pierse Fitzgibbon said the majority of those cases were settled once motorists were contacted by their local sheriff.

Settlements included one-off payments and instalment plans.

In 2015, 42 vehicles were seized by sheriffs from people who failed to settle. More than half were bought back by owners at the cost of the fine due plus seizure expenses, Mr Pierse said.

The remaining cars were put up for sale by the sheriffs and the proceeds paid over to TII.

Criminal action

A small number of cases resulted in criminal action against motorists involved.

Criminal proceedings are taken when motorists have a high number of persistent non-payments. TII estimates there are up to 2,000 motorists who persistently fail to pay. The organisation introduced criminal prosecutions against them for the first time last year.

In 2014, one motorist failed to pay the toll 437 times over a nine-month period, averaging 12 tolls a week. A criminal case was taken against him at the Dublin District Court. He was convicted and fined €15,000.

This year, a motorist was fined €25,000. That case is ongoing.

Commenting on Thursday, Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe said fines were “very much a responsibility for people who use the roads”.

“It is very evident to people who use the M50 and other tolled roads that there is tolling - there is a cost involved in using them [and] the vast majority of people who use those roads pay those tolls,” he said.

“You have to be fair to those people, to then ask people who don’t pay those tolls to pay them.”

The Minister said he would not consider increasing tolling on the M50 until there is a “substantially increased” public transport alternative for those who use it.