Irish toll booths waste €26 million in diesel annually

The Irish Road Hauliers Association (IRHA) reports that trucks waste over €26 million in diesel each year due to toll booth stops. This waste also produces nearly 45,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. The IRHA is urging for toll booths to be made barrier-free for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). The association claims that the barriers contribute to diesel waste, traffic congestion, and air pollution. These issues are harming the economy in rural areas. Many hauliers are advising their drivers to avoid toll booths, leading to increased traffic in cities. The cost of diesel wasted at toll booths adds to the €100,000 in toll fees that the haulage industry pays daily. Ger Hyland, the president of the IRHA, has called for change within a year. He believes that removing barriers or allowing HGVs to use express lanes could significantly cut carbon emissions. Hyland highlighted that each time an HGV stops at a toll booth, it burns up to two litres of diesel, which equates to over 5 kilos of CO2 emissions. He noted that with more than 24,000 HGVs using tolls daily, the current system generates excessive daily emissions.