Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has confirmed that barrier free tolls on the M50 are expected to be in place by the autumn of 2008.
Mr Ahern has previously said that the Government was anxious to remove the toll plaza as soon as possible.
In the Dáil yesterday, he said that the new electronic tolls would be in place in two years. They would move to electronic freeflow tolling on the motorway.
A Department of Transport spokeswoman said the barriers would be removed and the readings carried out electronically. The new system was expected to assist the flow of traffic. All phases of the M50 were due to be completed by 2010, she added.
Meanwhile, the existing traffic problems continue on the M50. A traffic collision on the motorway yesterday morning quickly led to chaos with a knock-on effect all over south Dublin as traffic was brought to a standstill.
Drivers and passengers on the M50 who thought they were resigned to the daily traffic jam experienced unprecedented tail-backs and delays. The chaos continued for more than four hours.
According to AA Roadwatch, the collision occurred on the M50 southbound between the Firhouse and Dundrum exits at 7.10am which caused traffic to back up to the Finglas exit from the crash.
Traffic also backed up from the Firhouse exit on to the Scholarstown Road which in turn started a traffic jam up to the Lucan and Naas roads.
The delays began to worsen as the morning progressed with traffic at a crawl from Ballymun to Dundrum on the M50 southbound. The collision was cleared at 7.50am but at this stage the Lucan Road was already jammed to Leixlip Bridge. The Naas Road backed up to Citywest and then Rathcoole. The Navan Road was tailing up to the Clonee bypass affecting all routes throughout Castleknock Village.
An obstruction then occurred at the Red Cow exit just before 8am which added to the delays but was cleared shortly after.
With people trying to avoid the M50, the M1 became very heavy as did traffic through Dundrum, Clonskeagh, Ranelagh and Rathmines.
The Ballymun Road was also at a crawl which was hindered by works in place at Balbutcher Lane which cause delays on normal days. The chaos continued and by 10am southbound M50 traffic was slow from the M1 to Lucan. The Naas Road was backed up to the Kill turn-off and the Navan Road was heavy from the Dunboyne turn-off. By 10.20am there was a slight improvement but delays continued and it was not until an hour later that the traffic began to improve on the M50 and all approach roads.