Julianstown

Irish Times Article - Transport, bus firms to avoid Kilcock-Kinnegad bypass

Irish Times Article - Transport, bus firms to avoid Kilcock-Kinnegad bypass

Interesting article from The Irish Times today. Haulage firms will not pay tolls due to cost, and will continue to drive through towns and villages. Julianstown proved this two years ago and now it's the turn of residents on the old Galway road to suffer. Interesting to see that there will be protests next year. Julianstown.Com looks forward to joining with the truckers to protest at the ridiculous tolling strategy.

Transport, bus firms to avoid Kilcock-Kinnegad bypass

Teresa O'Malley
15/12/2005

The managing director of a transport company with depots in Mayo and Blanchardstown, Dublin, said the annual cost of using the Kilcock-Kinnegad bypass for 20 trucks would be €120,000.

Noel Howley said that kind of money was simply not in the haulage business and he would not allow his lorry drivers to use the new road. "It's a national scandal and I'm flabbergasted that the reaction in the west and by the national Road Haulage Association to the new toll charges is not stronger."

Mr Howley said the cost of return tolls for one lorry to travel from the depot in Blanchardstown to the west was now €22.40.

"It's crazy. It does not make economic sense at any level. As hauliers we are fed up of being pushed around and that's what's happening. If it's not diesel prices, it's toll charges, labour costs, tax and insurance on our vehicles."

The annual tax on an articulated lorry was €2,500. Where was the money being spent, he asked. "The reality is that hauliers will not be using this new toll road between Kilcock and Kinnegad because the cost is prohibitive."

Mr Howley said traffic volume would be minimal as most regular road users would not be able to afford the toll. A new road hauliers group would be set up in the new year to combat the charges, he said."We will take to the roads and we will do whatever is needed to put an end to being walked on, as is the case, at present."

Siobhán Holliman writes: Galway's main private bus operators also said they were not using the motorway on their Galway-Dublin services. Citylink, which provides almost 20 buses a day between Galway and Dublin and Dublin airport, said it was not using the route because it would have an adverse impact on their business.

A spokesman said the company picked up and dropped many passengers in Kinnegad and Enfield. "Taking the motorway would bypass our normal busy pick-up spots and affect our customer base too much," he said.

Nestor Bus Ltd, based in Turloughmore, said the toll made the route too expensive. A round-trip toll of €7.40-€7.60 on each of its services was too much to pay. A spokesman said: "We already pay a round-trip toll of €6.20 on the M50 going to the airport and there are more add-on costs for us there." It will review its services at the end of January.

posted by FPL @ 11:37 AM