Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 119: To ask the Minister for Transport when he will bring forward legislation on open road tolling. [29065/05]

Shane McEntee (Meath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 159: To ask the Minister for Transport if and when he will introduce legislation to permit electronic tolling; if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties in the operation of electronic tolling in recent months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28828/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 159 together.

Automated toll collection is currently in use on existing toll plazas and will be used on all future toll schemes. Automated toll collection does not require legislation for its use. The automated toll collection systems currently in place, however, use a barrier as the main enforcement tool as toll operators do not consider the existing legislative arrangements robust enough to support a move to open road tolling.

Open road tolling, that is the collection of tolls by automated means in a barrier free environment, is, I consider, the optimal means of toll collection where the traffic volumes and toll revenues justify the investment required. My Department is, therefore, working on proposals for legislative amendments to strengthen the enforcement provisions relating to non-payment of tolls in an open road environment. I anticipate, subject to the other priorities on the legislative programme, that the draft legislation will be introduced early next year.

I assume that the difficulties the Deputy is referring to relate to the temporary layout changes implemented at the West Link plaza which provided for a second dedicated automated collection lane in each direction. I understand that the second lane was introduced as part of a campaign to encourage the migration to automated tolling in preparation for the progression of the West Link to a fully free flow automated toll collection system. The transition from the current toll collection arrangements to a non-stop automated toll collection facility is planned to be implemented over a number of stages involving a phased reduction in the cashier or coin basket lanes with a corresponding increase in automated toll payments with the objective that the free flow arrangements will be in place to coincide with the completion of the M50 upgrade works.

However, I understand that the removal of the basket lane to provide the second automated lane had an adverse effect on traffic flow through the West Link plaza and NTR withdrew the second automated lane on 29 August 2005. The evidence from the unsuccessful attempt to convert to a second dedicated automated lane in each direction highlights one of the many challenges that lie ahead in migrating the West Link toll facility from its present predominantly cash payment configuration to a fully free flow automated toll collection system. It is anticipated that as the uptake of Eazypass increases, the introduction of a second automated lane will prove to be viable.