The €5.60 toll for car users of Dublin's Port Tunnel will not be changed, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said today.
Responding to media reports this morning suggesting variable tolls of up to €11.20 per vehicle could be introduced in a bid to curb the number of cars using the tunnel, the Minister ruled out such a move.
"A toll scheme agreed in 1999, envisaged trucks not being charged at all and cars being charged a maximum of €5.60 as a traffic-management measure," he said.
This morning's reports suggested cars would be tolled at different prices for using the tunnel at different times of the day. It also suggested that a tolling order would be made later and a public hearing then held to allow the introduction of the higher tolls.
Under the current toll scheme, the price charged to cars using the Port Tunnel can be altered from year to year to account for inflation. However, legislative changes would be required to introduce a new variable toll scheme.
Mr Peter Malone, the chairman of the National Roads' Authority (NRA), said reports of the toll rise were unexpected: "We are as surprised as anybody else [to see the report]."