The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) is calling for Government intervention over toll increases due from 1 January 2027, warning that higher transport costs will add to pressure on operators and feed through to household shopping bills.

The association says hauliers already facing rising fuel costs and severe financial pressure are being asked to absorb another increase in the cost of keeping goods moving.

IRHA President Ger Hyland questioned the consistency of providing support to road users while increasing the charges they face.

“On the one hand, government is giving hauliers and ordinary motorists support to keep their vehicles moving. At the same time, another arm of Government is increasing the charges those same road users face.”

The association argues that the mounting pressures on the industry warrant a review of the planned increases.

Higher charges from January

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has confirmed that certain toll rates across the eight public-private partnership toll roads, the M50 and Dublin Port Tunnel will increase from 1 January 2027.

TII says the adjustments follow the tolls’ inflation mechanism, using a Consumer Price Index increase of 3.6% for the year to August 2026. Its board has approved the changes. Heavier HGVs using the M50 will face increases of 20 cent or 30 cent per passage, depending on their category and payment arrangements. tii.ie

For operators making repeated toll journeys, the cumulative cost will depend on fleet size, routes and the number of passages each vehicle makes.

As an illustration, an additional 30 cent per passage would cost €150 a year for a truck making two chargeable passages a day over 250 operating days. Across 20 trucks following that pattern, the additional annual bill would be €3,000.

That calculation covers the increase at a single toll point. Vehicles passing through several tolled sections during a working day could face a larger combined increase.

Warning over supply-chain costs

The IRHA says the impact extends beyond the haulage sector. When the cost of delivering food, household goods and other everyday essentials increases, those costs move through the supply chain.

Operators must either absorb the additional expense within their margins or seek to recover it from customers. The association warns that Irish households ultimately feel the effect through higher shopping bills.

TII says toll revenue supports road operation, maintenance and renewal. Revenue collected by private toll companies also contributes to repaying construction loans and maintaining their motorway sections. tii.ie

The Dublin Port Tunnel change should be distinguished from higher HGV toll charges elsewhere. Its southbound weekday morning peak charge will rise from €14 to €15, but HGVs continue to travel toll-free through the tunnel. TII says the peak charge helps preserve capacity for freight accessing Dublin Port. tii.ie

With the new rates scheduled to take effect in January, the IRHA is seeking Government intervention to review the increases before operators face another rise in their transport bills.