M50 Barrier Free Toll Bridge
I was coming back from Dublin Airport on Monday night and I ended up passing through the new barrier free toll on the M50. I passed through at speed but I couldn’t see the cameras so I was wondering to myself if they are really there. Anyway I went to pay the toll on line on the eflow website and of course the bloody thing didn’t work. I got a server error when I tried to pay.
Sys.WebForms.PageRequestManagerServerErrorException
See image below.
So I didn’t want to refresh the page because I didn’t want to run the risk of paying twice and getting the same error again. I rang the eflow call centre in Bristol (1890 50 10 50) to find out if the toll had been paid. Of course the girl in the call centre wasn’t able to tell me if the toll had been paid. the suggestions that were made were that
1) I could just wait and see if the transaction had gone through (not really an option to wait to see if I got fined)
2) I could open an account (also not really an option as the cost is prohibitive if I only use the toll 4 or 5 times a year)
3) Pay again over the phone.
3 is the option that I went with. If the transaction went through then I could get a refund apparently. I’ll just have to wait and see if it comes up on my statement.
How much is the toll backend system costing again? €25 million was it?
Update: 04/09/08
My eflow payments have appeared on my credit card statement. That’s right it went through twice. I just rang the eflow help line to request my refund that I was promised yesterday. The girl was rather confused and told me that my account was €3 in credit. When I asked about expiry of credit I was told that there was no expiry on credit. So it looks like I’ll have €3 credit against my car for a few months until I pass through the toll again. I still have to ring them though to confirm that the credit has been used. We shall see how we get on.
I don’t actually understand how they could tell me today that the balance against my car registration number was +€3 but Tuesday they couldn’t tell me whether the toll had been paid i.e. if the balance was €0 or -€3. It seems a bit fishy to me.
I wonder if it’s possible to get my credit back if I change my car in the mean time as the credit is only associated with my car registration number.
A €3 toll is such a rip off. It doesn’t pay to set up an account for the €2 toll as my frequency of usage would mean that I pay more in account maintanence fees than I would pay in tolls.
Payment options
eflow web site www.eflow.ie
Phone: 1890 50 10 50
Any Payzone outlet (shops and petrol stations)
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:25 pm
The ads have me so confused over this toll system. Do you register or don’t you. Do you buy a tag or don’t you? Do the tags cost money? Are there monthly charges? If you don’t pay, what happens? They seem to have turned a fairly simple operation (drive up, throw coins at the hapless man) into a minefield of choices and potential failures.
And they used .Net! Give me €25m and I’m pretty sure I can build something that fails too. Hmm… must remember to bid for the next government tender I hear about.
September 12th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Cross-posting back here as I haven’t been checking my feeds as regularly this week so missed all that fun you had with the whole eCrap! So that’s the second person this week I know who really hates this system and I haven’t even asked anyone about it! Hope they sort the mess out with the bill at any rate.
September 12th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I came through the toll bridge on my way back from Germany and then spent days trying to pay the toll.
Incidentally I’m getting alot of hits on this post. All from google with searches like “pay M50 toll” and variants of that. So lots of people are learning about it.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Greetings!
I just came across this entry, and I read it with great interest. It confirms my initial worries and suspicions about “eFlow”, which I outlined in my own blog on August 31st. ( http://inishtrahoull.blogspot.com/2008/08/having-your-cake-and-eat-it.html )
The whole thing is a shambles, a rip-off a probably even illegal. I am no lawyer, but I have a strange feeling about the set-up and how it is run. If a lawyer with the right knowledge would challenge it in court, it might be very interesting to see the outcome.
Personally I have decided to boycott the system and will not use the M 50 as long as this highway robbery is in place.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Emerald Islander, Akismet flagged your comment as spam. You need to watch out for that as you could be on some wordpress naughty list somewhere.
I’ve rescued it from the spam bucket here though.
Time will tell about the legality of the whole toll situation.
September 19th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Hi John,
We’ve now, finally, found out the geographical alternative number for the eFlow 1890 50 10 50 number.
For anyone who has mobile phone minutes bundles, this will save them upwards on 35c per minute if they have to call eFlow.
Number is available here – http://www.saynoto1890.com/.
Regards,
SayNoTo1890.com
October 3rd, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Hello again, John,
and thanks for the rescue. I only saw your comment a moment ago, otherwise I would have thanked you earlier.
I have no idea how this works, if I am on some list or not, and what I could do against it if I am.
If there is a black list I am on, it is probably compiled by the government. They are not too happy about people who call a spade a spade and expose them for the incompetent charlatans they are.
October 13th, 2008 at 11:52 am
You’re lucky you could even find the website John. It took me so long searching for it, I nearly missed the 8pm deadline…
November 17th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Hi I just phoned E flow as unsure of this 8pm rule and didnt know til a work colleague told me today and I went through it on Wednesday and Friday ! Anyway they are flagging the late fee at the moment and posting letters out and then I ring up and pay when I get my letter. I couldnt pay while I rang there though for some strange reason incase they cant locate the money, strange I thought considering I only have one reg no ! I’ll wait for my letter in the post !!
November 17th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Elle,
I don’t think Eflow actually know what they’re doing. The whole situation is ridiculous.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you got fined. Make sure you keep records of who you were talking to and when.
December 19th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I believe if one has no account they cannot buy a toll for the M50 in advance of travel. You can only buy AFTER travelling. This is ludicrous as it is so easily forgotton after. Also what about the 50 per cent rise in charges just as the bridge was taken away. This was very sneaky and done without any notice taken. It is just assumed we will pay it and of course there is no choice. The system is not to be trusted even when the toll is paid, a fine can come anytime and it is our time that will be wasted trying to ‘prove’ payment. Why are we so proud to call ourselves Irish now?
January 5th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
I was actively opposed to the M50 toll continuing beyond the barrier removal as we have paid many times over for this scandalous deal. On principle, I refuse to join any payment schemes but I have used the barrier free section twice. Following the first crossing over ten weeks ago I received a wad of paper and a request for €3 (they were then waiving the €3 penalty). I copied the bill, wote on it ‘cheque enclosed’ and sent it to the NRA’s Head Office in Cork. I subsequently received another wad of paper threatening penalties. I marked this ‘paid to NRA in Cork’ and posted it without stamp. My cheque for €3 was cleared through my bank exactly eight weeks after I posted it. I have heard nothing about my second crossing. My contention (apart from the immorality of tolls being charged) is that payment to the registered office of any company to whom money is owed represents legal and valid payment. Nobody can be compelled to join a scheme, buy a tag, use a credit card or make a phone call or a visit a shop or other place to suit the convenience of the organisiation making the charge. I strongly urge everyone to follow suit and when the NRA is inundated with unexpected paperwork it and the government may be compelled to abandon M50 toll charges. Even if, for absolute certainty, registered post is used, it would be less costly than the penalty and fee. It is also my view that the number of illegible number plates which pass through the tolled area without penalty could well form the basis of a claim that the tolls are unconstitutional. (Cherishing all citizens equally etc. etc.) Effectively, the toll is levied upon those who comply with the law by having correct number plates whilst exempting those who ignore it. We should not allow the NRA and their collection agencies to treat us like dumb sheep. By all mean pay the toll to avoid ultimate prosecution but cut out all the ‘middlemen’ and the end of this highway robbery will soon loom into sight. Good luckl! Martin
January 10th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Hi Martin,
Sending the cheque to the company headquarters seems like a good way of voicing protest about the system. If everyone did it the NRA wouldn’t have the staff to cope with processing everything. As it stands the payment process is outsourced. The call centre you dial is in Bristol…
As for the illegible number plates, I believe that if the computer can’t interpret the number plate then a real person views the image and determines what the number plate is.
Personally I don’t really agree with the toll system as it’s being rolled out. When the national motorway system is finished there will be a number or tolls on the network. I would be in favour of something like the Austrian system where if you want to use the motorways rather than paying tolls at particular points on the road you buy a “Vignete” for 60 or 70 euros and attach it to your windscreen. In effect it’s an additional tax to use the motorway system but it applies to everyone. When the whole country is tolled this may be a better system.
March 10th, 2009 at 8:17 am
very nice info here. happy to read it.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Hi everyone.All comments are grate,but the sums are low.Ha-ha… I mean,Ye all were lucky enough to pay all charges sooner or later. I am going through that bloody M50 just about few times a year and never knew about e-flow,until I got the letter from them ,with the charge of 6 euro.Paid that same day.In fact after I gave them a call I’ve descovered there are about 5 more charges of 45 Euros each for not paing in time.I’ve explained to the lad there that I never heard about it,he said not to worry,and just pay the last one and we are cool.
Now its getting to crazzy… A month later I got the letter from their soliciting company with the charge of 152 Euro.Gave them a call-Eflow said the case forvarded to solicitors,solicitors said that they have 7 charges 152 Euro each for me,which comes to about 750+Euro… And if I wount pay it all in 7 days(which I wount) they forvard it to court…
Waiting oral deal now…
Nearly crying now.This is wors then electric shock. Would any one give me any advice how to act now? Should I hire my own solicitor or should we all group together and protest against this rip off…? Den.Cork.
January 13th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Its a complete joke of a system. I refuse to get a tag because i only have call to use the m50 once a week. got mixed up paying once and had to pay 150e to that shower of fuckers in Listowel. I just go through the city now instead. takes 15 mins more, but it takes that long to bott up my computer and log on etc to pay the fucking toll at home so no biggie. Why didn’t they leave one or two booths to let the people who want to que to pay do that? Because they would miss all the revenue they get from fineing them!
June 6th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
Hi everyone.This is a continuation of my comment(November 5th).
I’ll take it short…
Got a bunch of mean calls and letters from eflow’s soliciting company(bunch of f****rs),told them that I have not done any criminal and I do not see what for I should pay,I’m paying all taxes so the roads ment to be free + not able to pay so much for nothing.The anwer was court on the way and my credit history will be damaged.Told them,that I don’t have any credit history so f***k you and your eflow.Not a sound since.
So I believe it’s just a fool’s trap.Very sound like mafia.They keep mean attitude and if you are weak person you fall for that and pay,but if you lovely stubborn fella they leave you alone.
Innocent people of Ireland, that is a daylight robbery,don’t fall for that…
If you haven’t done anything don’t be affraid of court…
Be strong,fight for your right…
August 24th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
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