Torturous 4 hour commutes in Meath - Call on Government to abolish high toll charges at peak times

Torturous 4 hour commutes in Meath - Call on Government to abolish high toll charges at peak times - Cllr Emer Tóibín

Meath Commuters are paying thousands on tolls per year and one Councillor is calling on the Government to remove toll charges from 6 to 9 am and 4.30 to 6.30 pm in a bid to give the counties hard-pressed commuters a break.

Aontú Cllr Emer Tóibín says Meath has the largest number of commuters in the county and they are being disproportionately hit.

Cllr Tóibín says

“There are 4 tolls in the county and someone living in Kells or Cavan and working in south Dublin can be hit for €3,600 a year just on tolls. This is a huge outlay at a time when cost of living costs are continuing to spiral. The government cannot have it both ways - either provide a viable commuter transport offering or stop penalising Meath commuters. Fuel hikes and carbon taxes disproportionately affect Meath motorists more”.

“Commuters from the county experience the longest commuting times in the entire country, despite Meath being one of the closest counties to Dublin in distance. It is not unusual to hear or 4-hour commutes and this will only increase into the future”.

“Census 2022 revealed damning statistics about the commuter travails endured by Meath commuters every day”.

“Meath has the largest number of commuters in the country. More Meath workers leave Meath to go to work than actually work in the county. This is completely unique to Meath and does not happen in any other county in Ireland. Meath people commute further than commuters in any other county and Navan is the biggest town without a rail line”.

Cllr Tóibín says

“We have been campaigning for years to extend the rail line to Navan, which will have untold benefits in terms of investment, regeneration and in the fight against climate change. Not a day goes by without a constituent contacting me about commuter services failing to show, full buses passing them by and cancelled services 2 or 3 days a week. More and more people are being forced to return to their car in order to get to work on time or attend important appointments”.

“Navan, only an hour from Dublin” was a popular and catchy tagline from an ad campaign for the Co. Meath town in the 70’s and 80’s, and I dearly wish that was the case today”.

“It’s more like four now”.

The Irish political system is radically broken

In Ireland the vast majority of elected representatives put a finger in the air to check which way the political wind is blowing. They have one eye on their leaders – seeking brownie points – and another eye keeping their seat safe. If elected reps shut up and do as they’re told, they are promoted; if they stand up for what they believe in, they are demoted. No wonder we have the political class we have. No wonder one point one billion euro is being buried in a hole under the National Children’s Hospital and that Stormont is in stalemate.

Throughout Ireland, many people are now afraid to say what they feel, many are afraid to respectfully engage on a range of different topics. Many feel there is a new censorship and a new political correctness in Ireland, that opposition to the establishment is being deleted.

Respectful opposition is not the enemy. Respectful opposition is a critical element of a functional democracy. Aontú will have the backbone to stand up, without fear, for you.