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Sumatra

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On a recent holiday to Melbourne I was very impressed with their automated, fully electronic toll road. They have no need for a toll plaza, toll booths or coin chutes. Tolls are collected without slowing the flow of traffic or stopping to collect tolls.

Compare this to what we have to put up with on the M50. We have a company in profit that is allowed to use an inefficient, environmentally archaic method of collecting tolls. The method of collection is causing delays and loss to industry, commuters, workers, holidaymakers etc. In time we will probably hear of individuals successfully suing NTR.

How much did NTR make last year and would they have any justifiable argument against installing a fully automated system? Should they be compelled?
 
The fully automated Eazypass system has been avialable on the M50 for a year now. All we need now is for the consumers to start using the system.
 
I use the Easypass

Great in theory, in practice however there are 2 main faults with it:

A) Its slow to read the tag, so one must come to a near stop in order for the barrier to lift

B) Morons continue to use the EasyPass lane to pay cash & the tellers entertain them. If there was an instant, no question, €50 fine for using the Easy Pass lanes without a pass, this would soon come to an end me thinks


For info, I happen to know an individual who is working with a company on developing a new electronic system to read everyones id without the need for attendends at the tolls, barriers etc. Basically, it photographs everyones registration plate and can send fine to those that dont pay etc. Apparently, NTR are very supportive of the concept, but appear to be very slow to sign up to it ... I suspect, its due to initial outlay (though the product is economically viable) & probably, a concern by NTR that their cashcow might need a little more attention, when it comes to collecting funds etc.

Regards

G>
 
I looked into this last year and listened with interest to the spokesman for ntr say they get (on average) 3 cars per hour trying to get through the easy pass lane without paying. He also said they average between 80k and 90k cars per day going through the tolls.
If my calculator is working right they're leaving the barriers down to catch those 3 cars/hr, despite getting (avg 85000 cars / 14 lanes(is that right?)/ 2 easy pass lanes) 3035 motorists/hr through each lane.
 
Slightly off topic here but I heard something interesting on radio today which confirmed my thinking of late.
It might have been the Council for Civil Liberties, I could be wrong, who warned that the use of static and mobile speed cameras and traffic cameras could form part of a surveillant state, monitoring people's whereabouts. The information could be used for official or Garda reasons (apart from speeding offences and revenue gathering of course.)
This collection of information is just a beat away when you consider the enormous number of CCTV cameras are around and vehicle registration reading devices on the M50 and in car parks and other locations across the country.
It was almost ten years ago when I heard the statistic that in Dublin, when travelling in and out of work every day, on average, a person was recorded on such cameras, etc. at least six times. Now, that figure is probably ten times that number.
Why dont they just plant a chip in us all so they know where we are at all times!
 
"Why dont they just plant a chip in us all so they know where we are at all times!"

Which come to think of it would be handy if you fell down a ditch or were lost at sea.
 
Unlike Dublin the system they use in Melbourne means traffic does not slow. It just passes a camera at whatever speed the road conditions dictate. You then have 72 hours to pay the toll by text, phone etc. Its not at all like Eazypass. Eazypass customers still get caught up in traffic waiting for their bit of red carpet. Wouldn't the Govt be better off speaking with Garrettod's individual or going down under to bring us a solution instead of visiting banana plantations in Cuba?
 
Sumatra said:
Wouldn't the Govt be better off speaking with Garrettod's individual or going down under to bring us a solution instead of visiting banana plantations in Cuba?
Click to expand...
Yeah - And why don't NTR and/or Govt give us all Mercedes cars too - That would make the traffic go much faster, wouldn't it. While the eazypass system isn't perfect, it's what we have available today. If access through the toll bridge is as huge a problem as posters here seem to indicate, it is not unreasonable to expect the majority of drivers to sign up for eazypass today to help alleviate the problem.
 
Garrettod said:
I
For info, I happen to know an individual who is working with a company on developing a new electronic system to read everyones id without the need for attendends at the tolls, barriers etc. Basically, it photographs everyones registration plate and can send fine to those that dont pay etc. Apparently, NTR are very supportive of the concept, but appear to be very slow to sign up to it ... I suspect, its due to initial outlay (though the product is economically viable) & probably, a concern by NTR that their cashcow might need a little more attention, when it comes to collecting funds etc.
Click to expand...

Would suspect that there would be major issues regarding Data Protection and Privacy issues here. The Data Commisioners recent annual report highlights his concerns regarding the use of speed cameras for other means other than detecting speeding vehicles.

C
 
It NTR delay you for more than 15 mins because they can't process the volume of traffic through their old-fashioned tolls and if they don't wish to spend money improving matters by investing in new technology, then once traffic backs up to a preassigned point equating to 15 mins travel time then the authorities should order them to open the toll gates and let the traffic pass through without toll until congestion has eased.
 
Sumatra said:
It NTR delay you for more than 15 mins because they can't process the volume of traffic through their old-fashioned tolls and if they don't wish to spend money improving matters by investing in new technology, then once traffic backs up to a preassigned point equating to 15 mins travel time then the authorities should order them to open the toll gates and let the traffic pass through without toll until congestion has eased.
Click to expand...
For customers who have signed up for the Eazipass system only - right?
 
?++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++TOLL GATE
+ = 2 km of traffic
? = Eazypass customer
 
Sumatra said:
?++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++TOLL GATE
+ = 2 km of traffic
? = Eazypass customer
Click to expand...
Sorry - don't do puzzles, but I'd be delighted to hear your views in English.
 
If, like me, you think NTR seem to be getting off lightly, there is a very simple explanation for this: NTR and their shareholders are major contributors to the FF party, or, as I like to call them now, the "Charles Haughey Pee Flynn Ray Burke Party" (and yes, i have renamed Fine Gael the "Michael Lowry Party").

But don't take my word for it, Shane Ross writes in the Sunday Indo of 24 April that NTR made a contribution to the European election campaign of Eoin Ryan TD when he was Chairman of the Dail transport Committee, which was investigating the operation of toll roads, among other things.

One contribution to a politician may not seem much, but there is a long history of political contributions by NTR and their shareholders going back many years, as evidenced by the Planning Tribunal. There is nothing wrong with making contributions to political parties, so long as there is no expectation of political favours.

In an ethical world, Mr Eoin Ryan would have returned that contribution, but our politicians don't seem to understand ethics.
 
"?++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++TOLL GATE
+ = 2 km of traffic
? = Eazypass customer"

Makes perfect sense to me. Eazypass is a farce, beggars belief why anyone would defend it.

Personally I think it's a disgrace that our roads are allowed to be whored by private companies, especially when they make a mockery of the concept of a high class motorway in return. As David McWilliams puts it, this is the QWERTY keyboard of the 21st century ([broken link removed].

The Irish reaction to good (smoking ban) and bad (private toll company) is the same: nothing.

Ah well.
 
Personally, I believe the majority of people are crazy to drive into Europe's BIGGEST carpark,
You get spend 2 hours trying to get off,but only then to realise that if you had gone through Castleknock, through Pheonix Park on to chapelizod and out the otherside you could have done it in 20 mins and then stop in a shop to buy yourself a bar of chocolate and the herald and laugh....

" Headline" Over 92,000 cars use the Toll bridge every day...

Not ME....
2005 92,000
 
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