According to figures from the National Road Authority published in the Irish Times and Irish Independent – motorists that use the M50 toll road are forking out over €100 milion Euro a year in penalty charges.  That’s over €2 million a week being paid out in penalties that should be easily avoided. It also begs the question – what are they doing with all this extra money?

The income from the M50 penalty charges or fines is more than double  the total expected income in actual toll charges . The NRA forecast income of  €80 million a year in toll charges and are now getting around €120 million on top in penalties -  a nice little earner for them.
It is easy to see how the driver who only uses the M50 once a year could miss paying the toll charge in time. Especially travellers to Dublin Airport . Paying a €3 toll charge is probably the last thing you want to do when you are rushing to check in and catch  flights. But – Eflow  don’t make it easy to pay do they?  How many outlets are there at Dublin airport to pay the M50 toll and how well signposted are they? If someone is going on a 2 week holiday – the €3 toll quickly becomes a €47.50 charge including penalties (after 14 days) when they arrive back home.

It is supposed to possible to register with Eflow for a “post-pay” video recognition account – which will charge you when you pass under the toll plaza and bill you monthly (debit or credit card). This registration facility does not seem to be working correctly on the Eflow.ie website. I personally tried 5 times to register my car before going to Dublin Airport – and the system just wouldn’t let me do it. There are plenty of other people who seem to have had a similar problem here.

I can’t understand why anyone using the M50 more than once year doesn’t register for an account (if the eflow system lets them) as outlined in our M50 Toll Charges article last August it works out cheaper and could save motorists €100 million a year in fines.