Irish Hauliers Call Toll Hikes Extortion and Seek Meeting With Taoiseach

Ger Hyland, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, has requested a meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien to discuss the upcoming rise in road tolls. Hyland described the planned increases as extortion and said the association will push for the changes to be stopped or suspended.

The board of Transport Infrastructure Ireland approved the price hikes on Friday. All 10 tolls on the national road network are set to rise starting in January. The increases range from 10 cents on the M50 toll to €1 at the Dublin Tunnel.

Hyland argued that the timing of the announcement is poor because many association members struggle to afford fuel. He noted that diesel prices are now 60 to 80 cents a litre higher than they were at this time last year. He described the planned toll increases as price gouging and tone deaf.

The M50 toll generated €216.3 million last year, while the Dublin Port Tunnel generated an additional €35 million, according to Hyland. He called these figures mad money. He said his message to the Taoiseach and the Minister is that they need to rein it in. He added that the anger among hauliers is palpable.

James Geoghegan, an agricultural contractor from County Westmeath who played a key role in the fuel protests earlier this year, said organizers are definitely considering staging similar action next month. He described the toll increases as madness and criminal. He said the group is in consistent contact and has an appetite to organize a protest that coincides with the work-to-rule action by rank-and-file gardaí.

The gardaí industrial action is scheduled for November 10 through November 14. This period includes the European Political Community meeting and an informal meeting of EU heads of state or government. Geoghegan said any new protest would likely be limited to one day in the capital, as prolonged blockades are expensive. He said everything is an option at the moment.

Geoghegan stated that the new tolls add to the rising cost of doing business in Ireland. He wants more action on fuel, electricity, and heating oil. He said he had hoped some tolls would be scrapped altogether. Although government supports for fuel costs have helped, prices have risen again. Geoghegan said the group will be talking to other organizations over the next few weeks.

TII stated that tolling income supports its functions relating to the operation, maintenance, and life-cycle asset management of the national roads network. The agency said it is required under legislation to maintain a safe and efficient network of national roads. Hyland said the planned increases are due to come into effect from January.