19th February 2003

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Minister Brennan's Toll Road Madness

Sinn Fein's Spokesperson on Transport has described as `madness' the statement by Minister Seamus Brennan to a local radio station that lorries and heavy goods vehicles will not have any mandatory obligation to use new toll roads.

The Dublin South-West TD said:

``Sinn Fein has always opposed the use of toll roads for a wide variety of reasons, including the fact that the imposition of a charge on the new road often means lorry drivers will still use the older, narrower roads rather than pay the toll.

``This means that despite massive investment in toll roads, the drivers of many heavy-goods vehicles will continue to travel down roads that are unsuitable. The safety and congestion problems the toll roads are designed to put an end to will remain.

``While we would prefer to see the elimination of the use of this form of road tolling, if it must be used, it should be mandatory for heavy-goods vehicles to use them. It is madness that we build roads and then do all we can to encourage drivers not to use them.'' ENDS

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