New motorway will exact heavy toll, inquiry is told |
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Residents and business owners from Enfield and Kilcock said traffic accidents would increase as truckers and motorists diverted to the existing N4 road to avoid paying the motorway toll. The addition of up to £20 on top of existing motoring costs was also "unacceptable", the first public hearing at Mullingar into proposed tolling of a nationwide network of motorways was told. The position of Meath County Council was that the tolls would act as a deterrent to vehicles using the proposed motorways and these would revert to using existing regional and country roads. Heavy goods vehicles were already causing serious damage to these roads. Under the plan, toll booths are planned at the Kilcock-Enfield section of the M4 and one-direction toll plazas on the two west-facing ramps going into and leaving the Enfield interchange. Enfield Traders' Association told the inquiry that these vehicles would use the "old dangerous N4" and insisted the diversion rate was far higher than that predicted by the National Roads Authority (NRA). Sarah Carey, representing traders and residents, said that tolling would encourage people to use the existing road and not the motorway, thereby increasing the risk of accidents. Brendan Quinn, from Athlone, in a private submission objecting to the draft toll scheme, said: "There may be a scenario in the future, for example, when a child could be injured by a lorry using the old N4 to avoid tolls. "If this does happen, the NRA will be to blame." Denis Coakley, from Dublin, in his submission, said that vehicles leaving the toll motorway to single carriageway road presented serious safety issues. However, a traffic consultant for the NRA, Michael MacNicholas, insisted that the scheme would reduce journey times and accidents on the existing N4 corridor, and that the development was a vital piece of national infrastructure. The NRA spokesman said the toll booths would remove the incentive for long-distance traffic to divert to the existing main road. Another issue of contention was the impact on local businesses. Traders told the inquiry that those drivers who wanted to leave the motorway to do business in the town and resume their journey would be caught twice with toll charges. The charges would thus act as a deterrent on local business, traders said. Traders also pointed out that other by-passes around the country operate successfully without toll charges. The main toll plaza is between Kilcock and Enfield and any motorist travelling along the new motorway will not be hit with a second charge. But they will be if they leave the motorway to go into Enfield and wish to rejoin the route. This is to protect the motorway from people who may bypass the mainline toll plaza by driving along the old route to Enfield and then joining the motorway. Car owners face a charge of £1.65 and heavy goods vehicles £4.06 for using the 35km stretch of motorway being built privately at a cost of £257m. Hearing inspector Kevin O'Sullivan is to report to the NRA on the inquiry. Treacy Hogan, Environment Correspondent Irish Independent 28-8-2001
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