Irish drivers have shelled out almost €1 billion on road tolls since the start of 2020.

Freedom of Information figures show Irish drivers have spent €983 million in toll charges since January 2020.

The Transport Infrastructure Ireland figures show that €117 million was collected between January and April of this year alone.

Nearly half of that spend was on Dublin’s M50, with drivers spending €55 million in toll charges on the ring road in the first four months of the year.

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín told Newstalk it is past time the Government scrapped the M50 toll.

“The M50 toll should be scrapped. There is absolutely no argument currently for the M50 toll to continue,” he said.

“The people – the commuters of this State – have paid for it over and over and over again in tolls.

“Right now, the M50 toll is acting like a tax on work. We believe, in this cost of living crisis when people are suffering so much, the government should do the decent thing and scrap the M50 toll now.”

Tax on work

He said the toll is a tax on commuters and a tax on work – and warned that this month’s increase will only make things worse.

“Many commuters have no alternative but to use private cars to get to work,” he said.

“Startlinginly we are seeing the government hiking up these tolls just at the start of this month so the figure for 2023 is going to be far higher than it has been over the last number of years.”

Tolls

Drivers in Dublin also spent over €8 million using the Port Tunnel in that time.

Meanwhile, €11 million was spent by motorists using the M4 Kilcock to Kinnegad motorway.

In the previous three years, drivers spent €865 million in road tolls across the country.

The toll spend increased every year from 2020 to 2022 as the country reopened following the COVID pandemic.

• 2020 saw just over €242 million collected in road tolls around Ireland
• 2021 saw €276 million collected in road tolls around Ireland
• 2022 saw over €347 million collected in road tolls around Ireland