O’Dowd: Tougher penalties for ‘rip-off’ toll operators

TOLL operators must face tougher penalties for ripping off motorists, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Chair of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, Louth TD Fergus O’Dowd, has also called on Transport Infrastructure Ireland to be more transparent around publishing complaints about toll issues.

‘I am calling for much tougher penalties for toll operators that rip off Irish motorists,’ said Deputy O’Dowd.

‘I was shocked to learn that the M1 toll operator faced a fine of just €3,800 after overcharging 1,200 customers.’

The Louth TD is now calling for more transparency in respect of complaints made to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) about tolling issues.

‘When I requested information on complaints received by the authority, I was told 44 complaints were made about inappropriate toll charges in 2017.

‘However, TII did not disclose further information on the nature of these complaints despite my request for same. This is not acceptable, and I will appeal this to the Information Commissioner.