The Irish Road Haulage Association, has expressed its concern at reports that eight new toll locations may be introduced on Irish roads. The Association has called for the establishment of a task force to examine all road tolling systems to ensure that all road users are taxed at appropriate levels.
Commenting on the fact that the National Roads Authority has commenced a process of examining means of generating additional revenue through new tolls on Ireland’ existing road network, Eoin Gavin, President of the IRHA, said that such increases in tolling would have major implications, not only for the road haulage industry, but for Ireland’s overall competitiveness, which he said would be inevitably eroded.
“As a primarily exporting nation, Ireland needs to ensure that its exports are as price-competitive as possible. Introducing a network of additional tolls around Ireland would be a profoundly punitive measure which would, quite simply, increase costs on exports and reduce our ability to compete across a range of sectors. The value of Irish exports reached €161 billion last year, the highest annual figure ever recorded. Such moves to discourage and stem the flow of goods are entirely inconsistent with Ireland’s “open for business” ethos which is being advocated from all quarters at this challenging time.”
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