If there is one thing these crazy stories will teach you, it’s to pay your toll before things get out of hand.
The M50 toll is one that many people try not to forget to pay since there can be exceptional penalties if you leave your toll unpaid, and some penalties are much worse than others.
This barrier-free toll road, which goes around Dublin, is the busiest motorway in Ireland, so of course, from time to time, there are people who genuinely forget to pay their toll and some who intentionally try to dodge it, leaving them in hot water.
From hefty fines to cars being taken away, we have a list of the craziest penalty stories from those who never paid their eFlow tolls. So, let this be a reminder to get your eTag or risk falling into one of the following categories.
Brace yourself; here are five crazy M50 toll eFlow penalty stories.
- If there is one thing these crazy stories will teach you, it’s to pay your toll before things get out of hand.
- 5. Toll dodgers hit with €78,000 in fines – a hefty amount
- 4. 17 cars seized for not paying M50 toll – a possible worst-case scenario
- 3. €164,000 in fines – a string of offences
- 2. Fines of over €417,000 issued to motorists – one of the craziest fines
- 1. Arrest warrant issued for unpaid tolls – you have the right to remain silent
5. Toll dodgers hit with €78,000 in fines – a hefty amount
In May 2023, six motorists were fined €78,000 for ignoring warning letters and not appearing in court. One of the top crazy M50 eFlow penalty stories is that of a truck driver who paid for none of his 458 journeys on Ireland‘s busiest motorway and was sent 1,110 warning letters.
This driver then got a court summons, and if you thought he owned up to the wrongdoing and appeared in court, you would be wrong – he ignored this too.
In addition, the car owners had cunningly stopped being owners of their cars, subject to prosecution, but this didn’t help the situation since there was proof they were driving at the time.
4. 17 cars seized for not paying M50 toll – a possible worst-case scenario
If you thought the worst thing to happen when not paying the M50 toll was a slap on the wrist or a fine, you are sadly mistaken. According to this outrageous situation, 17 cars were seized in the first half of 2014, astonishingly four times higher than the previous year.
Registrations from around 50 countries were identified for crossing the toll without paying, and the authorities used the NRAs foreign enforcement service to try and pursue the dodgers. Having your car seized can be one of the worst-case scenarios, but more stories have been like this since 2014.
3. €164,000 in fines – a string of offences
One of the top crazy M50 toll eFlow penalty stories has to be this one. As the story goes, thirteen motorists were fined a whopping €164,000 for not paying their M50 toll.
Not only did these people not pay their penalty, but they also ignored warning letters and court appearances, leading to an ever-increasing fine.
The judge, who continued with the hearing despite no attendees, handed out massive fines to the individuals, ranging from €5,000 to €25,000, which were to be paid within six months. On top of this, they were ordered to pay €350 in prosecution costs.
2. Fines of over €417,000 issued to motorists – one of the craziest fines
In 2022, courts issued fines totalling €417,000 for unpaid tolls. This has to be one of the top crazy M50 toll eFlow penalty stories out there since this fine is one of the largest and was handed out across 28 drivers.
Among the motorists were commercial, van, truck, and lorry drivers, who pay more for their toll than the average car, which is why the penalty is so high.
While many missed their court dates, one single defendant who came to plead guilty was spared hefty fines and was called a “rare exception” for his presence by Judge Anthony Halpin. Instead, he was ordered to pay €350 in costs, while the others faced fines from €6,000 to €25,000. You wonder if failing their driving test in a way Irish people do would have stood by them.
1. Arrest warrant issued for unpaid tolls – you have the right to remain silent
If you thought car seizing and excessive penalties were as bad as it could get from not paying your M50 toll, wait until you hear this story. In July 2021, an arrest warrant was issued to Des Long of Shankill, who clocked up 1,139 unpaid M50 toll trips over ten months.
At an earlier court hearing, the Dublin van driver had promised the court that he would pay his dues and was granted adjournments to clear the amount owed.
According to the penalties for eFlow tolls on the M50, a person can be jailed for up to six months if they have not paid their tolls or shown up to court.
So, there it is, some of the craziest stories of court summons, hefty fines, arrest warrants, and cars being seized. With the recent news that toll charges on Irish roads are increasing, we hope this has encouraged you never to miss a toll payment!
