Hauliers against tolls on planned bypass of Limerick

The Irish Road Haulage Association has criticised plans by the National Roads Authority to impose a road toll on a national route in the west of Ireland.

Work on the €352 million southern bypass of Limerick city, which will include a new 900-metre tunnel under the Shannon, is due to start this summer.

In order for the private operator to recoup the investment over a 30-year period, two toll plazas are to be erected on the Co Clare side of the proposed tunnel, which will cost €100 million to construct.

The NRA has announced that the charge to motorists to use the tunnel will be €1.60 while drivers of large trucks will be charged €5.46.

The NRA says the annual toll revenue will be €15.2 million each year.

Over a 30-year period this will give the operator a gross income of €456 million.

However, a spokesman for the Irish Road Haulage Association yesterday criticised the tolls.

"We do not have any objection to paying to use roads - we already do that through road tax and excise duties. But we are very strongly opposed to road tolls such as the one proposed for Limerick."

He said that allowing one operator to control the tolls for the new road going into Limerick would create a monopoly.

"Truck-drivers going from Limerick city to Shannon Airport will have to pay more than €10 for each trip.

"It is an additional tax on industry."

He said the Government should allow three companies to operate the tolls to avoid a monopoly.

However, the proposal to impose tolls yesterday received the support of the Limerick Chamber of Commerce president, Mr Eamon Ryan.

"The chamber would have no problem with tolls. The road is a vital piece of infrastructure and will help reduce delivery times for businesses."

Meanwhile, the process towards the construction of the road took a further step yesterday as An Bord Pleanála confirmed that an oral hearing into the scheme is to start on April 20th in Limerick.

At the hearing, the 42 objections to the Compulsory Purchase Order for the scheme and 79 submissions lodged in relation to the Environmental Impact Statement are to be evaluated by board inspectors.

The road, expected to open in 2008, is the largest capital-works project undertaken in the mid-west and will link all national routes converging on Limerick from Dublin, Tipperary, Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Ennis and Shannon Airport.

The NRA is constructing the scheme on a public-private partnership basis.