Motorists see red as M50's eFlow toll site gets jammed
Tuesday August 19 2008
MOTORISTS trying to sign up for an M50 toll tag in advance of the barriers being raised have hit a traffic jam.
Reports have surfaced of frozen webpages and credit cards not being accepted on the National Roads Authority's eFlow site.
One user found the internet pages malfunctioning three or four times before he gave up in frustration. And the credit card of another user was not accepted for no apparent reason, though he could use his laser card.
BARRIERS
This comes as the August 30 date for the barriers going up looms large on the horizon.
The scramble to sign up for the eflow tag will intensify in the next fortnight and questions have been raised as to whether the NRA can handle the traffic.
When the West-Link toll plaza is removed, overhead cameras and detectors will automatically record motorists' electronic tags or vehicle number plates as they make their way across the M50.
"This system will enable you to pass through the toll at the legal speed limit, thereby eliminating driver stress and frustration," according to the eflow website.
However, the process of signing up is already causing much frustration.
A spokeswoman for the NRA said laser cards can only be used to keep the administration costs of the toll tag down.
"The video registration does take credit cards," she pointed out. She added that the NRA has not had any major problems as regards the functioning of the website.
"The IT department said (the frozen webpages) could be down to any raft of problems. We have not had any reports or any mass problems," the spokeswoman added.
However, users are not the only ones complaining about the new system. Car-hire firms are one of the many groups annoyed at how the changeover will affect them as they will no longer be able to reclaim VAT on tolls. Companies slammed the development, calling it a "fiasco" and "taxes by stealth".
"In effect, that's a 21pc increase in cost for a business user straight away," said John Wallace, President of the Vehicle Leasing Association.
eFlow is operated on behalf of the NRA by BetEire Flow, a consortium made up of the French toll operator Sanef and CS, a French tolling system designer.
- Cormac Murphy
