Make Sunday toll-free on M7

A campaign to make the toll in Laois free on All Ireland day is still underway.

Fine Gael Senator Tim Lombard said the private operator of the busy M7/M8 toll in Laois should intervene and show goodwill to ensure all Cork and Clare fans don’t miss the high-profile match because of traffic delays caused by the toll plaza.

He said the recent All-Ireland semi-final between Cork and Limerick was a classic in front of a full house in Croke Park.

“The only downside to a wonderful day was the traffic congestion and delays due to the tolls on the motorway,” he said.

He added: “It was chronic at the Laois toll plaza and thousands suffered major delays as a result of the bottleneck. Many turned off the motorway and travelled other routes to try and make the game on time.”

MidLink M7/M8 Ltd were appointed by Celtic Roads Group (Portlaoise) Ltd to manage toll collection at the M7/M8 Toll Plaza in Laois, as part of a 30 year public-private partnership scheme, until 2037 when it reverts to public ownership.

“There were long delays particularly at the toll outside Portlaoise where all the traffic from Limerick and Cork merged. We can’t have a repeat of this. Thousands upon thousands will be using the M7 motorway from Munster on Sunday.

“If the toll can’t deal with the volume of traffic, the barriers should be opened to prevent significant delays,” he said.

Another politician calling for the toll to be free is Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould who said: “I have now also written to the Minister for Transport requesting that he consider lifting the toll barriers for the day.

“There were huge delays and long traffic lines at the tolls ahead of last weekend’s semi-final. This was not only frustrating for fans travelling but, in some cases, dangerous.

“I believe that lifting the toll barriers would reduce the traffic and allow free movement on the motorway.”