AA Tell Drivers To Defy Toll Demands

The Irish AA has taken an almost unprecedented step today by urging motorists to defy bureaucrats and refuse to pay their road toll bills - even though drivers could face six months gaol.

Motorists have been urged not to pay bills for barrier-free tolling on the Dublin's M50 - if they have been billed incorrectly.

The AA advised motorists not to pay and not be alarmed at the threat of a €5,000 fine or six months imprisonment.

AA Ireland said today that motorists the "length and breadth of the country" are receiving payment demands for journeys they did not make on the road.

According to Department of Transport figures released today, the electronic tolling system failed to operate correctly for about 20,000 vehicles a day in the first week of its introduction.

The failure rate has dropped since then, but still stands at about 10,000 vehicles a day, or 10% of all West-Link traffic.

The failure rate results from the system failing to read tags or misreading them, failures in reading number plates and human error in matching photos of number plates with registered tag holders.

Failures were also caused by 'back office' systems. These included tags not being read by the new sensors on an overhead gantry about 500 metres north of the former toll plaza.

Some motorists have even been sent demands for payment of 'second-round' €40 fines, in advance of the deadline for such a fine. These second-round fines, in addition to the toll charges, should come into effect after 14 days.

"This is infuriating," said AA Ireland's Public Affairs Manager Conor Faughnan. "The thing is taking on a life of its own.

"Reams of paper are being sent out, causing waves of phone calls to come in. Frankly, it's a mess. We were told to expect teething problems but this is unacceptable and will have to be resolved soon."

The group also said motorists should keep records, to inform eFlow about the problem by email or by post.

(BMcC)