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Rethink on Irish tolls
Page 19
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NATIONAL TOLL ROADS, the toll franchisee on Dublin's Westlink Bridge has declined comment on a proposal to allow vehicles through free of charge if more than six are queuing at a booth at a time.
National Roads Authority spokesman Michael Egan made the proposal and questioned efficiency of the toll bridge before a 21 October Parliamentary Committee on Transport.
Egan says a new toll bridge at Drogheda has 10 booths for 20,000 vehicles a day, but the Westlink bridge had just 14 booths to cater for up to 90,000 vehicles a day. even with a second bridge recently added.
The N RA now imposes rigorous performance requirements for new toll bridges but these could not be applied to old contracts. says Egan.
However. NTR says it is in discussion with Transport Minister Seamus Brennan TD on a €500m PPP deal to upgrade the M50 itself from two lanes to three and will not comment on Egan's presentation to the Transport Committee.
An NTR spokesman said: "The company is actively looking at solutions for the M50 and there would be negotiations with the Minister based on the existing licensing agreement within that."
A plan for a major upgrade of M50 interchanges has been submitted to the Minister by the NRA and a decision on any implementation of the proposals is due with weeks.