Progressive Democrats TD Fiona O'Malley has urged the Government to cover the cost of the M50 toll bridge for a week to find out if tolling queues were causing gridlock.
Ms O'Malley, who represents Dún Laoghaire, said radical solutions must be sought to the predicament faced by many thousands of motorists caught daily in traffic backlogs on the motorway. "We all blame the toll for delays. If - and I stress if - the Government is contemplating buying out the West-Link toll plaza at an estimated cost of around €1 billion, it would be a good idea to try buying it out for a week. This experiment would facilitate a wise and informed decision by Government."
Ms O'Malley said there had to be a solution to the apparently ever-increasing traffic jams.
"National Toll Roads has consistently claimed that the M50 toll is not to blame. Others have disagreed.
"If the Government was to cover the costs for seven days, we would know once and for all if this is the case.
"It is galling to think that the cause of the congestion is queuing-up to pay the toll. If this is the reason it certainly needs to be eliminated."
Ms O'Malley said her suggestion was "a practical, value-for-money way" of finding out what was happening.
