Roads Act 2007

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Default toll, etc.

4.— The following is substituted for section 64 of the Principal Act:

“64.— (1) Where a toll charged and payable in respect of a mechanically propelled vehicle using a toll road is unpaid for such period specified in bye-laws under section 61, a default toll, in accordance with the bye-laws, of not more than such amount specified in the bye-laws being greater than the amount of the toll initially charged, may be charged and be payable in respect of the vehicle.

(2) Bye-laws made under section 61 may—

(a) provide that the amount of a default toll be increased by such amount where it is not paid within such period as specified in the bye-laws,

(b) take into account administrative costs in charging and collecting a default toll, or

(c) specify different amounts in respect of different classes of toll roads and different classes of vehicles.

(3) Where a toll is payable in respect of a mechanically propelled vehicle where—

(a) the vehicle is registered in the State (other than in the circumstances referred to in paragraph (c)) — the registered owner of the vehicle,

(b) the vehicle is not registered in the State — the person, whom the road undertaking concerned can reasonably ascertain, owns or keeps or has possession or charge of the vehicle in the State,

(c) the registered owner or a person referred to in paragraph (b) or (d), as the case may be, on the occasion in question, was not driving or in the vehicle and had not given permission for or required another to use the vehicle and the Garda Síochána were aware or were informed of this — the person who was driving the vehicle on the occasion, or

(d) a person has entered into an agreement with the road undertaking concerned in respect of the payment of tolls in respect of the vehicle — that person,

and the driver of the vehicle, if he or she is not a person mentioned above, are jointly and severally liable to pay the toll.

(4) The amount of any toll due and payable by a person under this Part and unpaid may be recovered from the person as a simple contract debt by the road undertaking concerned in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(5) (a) Notwithstanding section 79, notice of the charge of a toll may be served on a person by the road undertaking concerned by post—

(i) at the place where the person ordinarily resides or carries on business, or

(ii) if an address for the service of such a notice has been provided by the person, that address,

or where arrangements have been made between the person and the road undertaking by such means specified (such as electronic mail) to the place or address specified, in the arrangements.

(b) In any proceedings for the recovery of a toll it shall be presumed, until the contrary is shown, that the defendant received the notice under this paragraph to which the proceedings relate and that payment of the toll has not been made.

(6) A document signed by an officer of the road undertaking concerned (authorised in that behalf by the road undertaking) stating that a mechanically propelled vehicle in respect of which the proceedings are taken for the non-payment of a toll incurred the liability to pay the toll together with any photographic or other evidence taken from a camera or other apparatus referred to in subsection (7) of the identification mark of the vehicle taken at the material time may, without proof of the signature of the officer or that the photographic or other evidence is from a camera or other apparatus referred to in that subsection, be produced in any court and in all legal proceedings and is, until the contrary is shown, evidence that a toll was incurred in respect of the vehicle. It shall not be necessary to show that the camera or other apparatus was accurate or in good working order.

(7) A road authority may approve cameras or other apparatus and the location of them, to be set up and operated by the road undertaking having charge of the collection of tolls on a toll road, for the purposes of—

(a) recording the date and time of a vehicle passing through the toll road and whether payment in respect of the vehicle for the use of the road has been discharged or incurred, and

(b) taking photographic images of the vehicle and its identification mark.

(8) A person who is liable to pay a toll and who fails, neglects or refuses to pay the toll is guilty of an offence.

(9) A person who on a toll road, fails, neglects or refuses to obey a lawful instruction or direction of a person authorised by a road undertaking to provide, operate or manage a toll road or collect or charge tolls on the road is guilty of an offence.

(10) A person who by his or her actions does any thing to avoid being charged or paying a toll while on a toll road is guilty of an offence.

(11) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or both.

(12) In this section ‘identification mark’ in respect of a mechanically propelled vehicle, means the identification mark assigned to the vehicle—

(a) in the case of a vehicle registered in the State — under section 6 of the Roads Act 1920 or section 131(5) (inserted by section 102 of the Finance Act 2003 ) of the Finance Act 1992 , or

(b) in the case of a vehicle registered in a jurisdiction outside the State — under the laws of that jurisdiction.”.