Motorists are about to be hit with the highest price rises allowed for road tolls.
State roads operator Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) said the decision to hike tolls was "driven by the current rate of inflation".
Under the changes, the cost of using one of the 10 toll roads on the national road network will rise by up to 60 cent a journey.
On the M50 in Dublin, tolls will rise from €2.10 to €2.30 for those using tags, €2.70 to €2.90 for those captured on video, and €3.20 to €3.50 for unregistered vehicles.
Tolls for the eight public-private partnership companies running the country's other motorways will also rise – by either 10 or 20 cent depending on the route.
The Dublin Port Tunnel is the only tolled road not facing an increase.
The above charges relate to those driving cars, with charges higher again for those driving vans, buses and heavy vehicles.
The price hikes will come into force from January 1st, 2023.
TII confirmed that the State and the PPP companies have “discretion” in setting the tolls. While they are restricted from increasing the tolls beyond inflation, they do not have to match rising consumer prices.
In a statement, the roads operator said all tolls on the national road network “are regulated through inflation [Consumer Price Index] and cannot go above inflation”.
“Due to the inflationary impact during 2022, toll rates across the national road network will increase in 2023,” a TII spokesman told The Irish Times.
