New way of charging for Limerick Tunnel access set to be introduced

TOLL booths at Limerick Tunnel could soon be a thing of the past after its operator unveiled plans to use automatic number plate recognition technology (ANPR).

As things stand at the moment, motorists using the tunnel must go through a barrier in most cases.

There, the driver must pay a fee based on the size of the vehicle they are operating, either with card, contactless device or cash.

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The exception to this is motorists who have a toll tag, who can pass through unimpeded as they have a pre-pay account.

However, under new plans, Kevin McGrath, the general manager of DirectRoute (Limerick), the tunnel operator, says ANPR is on the way.

Already in use in the Dublin Port Tunnel and the M50 which bypass the capital’s northside and southside, ANPR works by using specialised cameras to capture, read and interpret vehicle licence plates.

This information is cross-checked in a database, with a fee liable to be paid by the registered owner of the vehicle.

In a letter to Limerick’s metropolitan councillors, Mr McGrath confirmed ANPR technology is already in place at the Limerick Tunnel.

“We are currently in the final stages of testing an enhanced system that will utilise this technology to further improve the tolling process for adapted vehicles,” he wrote.

Limerick Live has contacted DirectRoute (Limerick) to establish when ANPR technology will be in place locally, but had not received a response at the time of going to print.