Village traffic volumes same as M1
Recent results for NTR published in the Drogheda Independent September 16 reveal an astonishing fact:
The traffic volume in Julianstown is almost the same as that on the newly opened M1.
NTR, the company which operates the M1, West Link and East Link tolls made revenues of €24M and profits of €13M in the first 6 months of this year. The Drogheda Independent reported that revenues from the M1 toll were €9M or €50,000 per day for the first 6 months of 2005. Furthermore while revenues increased 25% profits rose by almost 100%.
Taking into account the cost of tolls and assuming 10% HGV traffic, this means that around 25,000 vehicles per day use the toll. We have already pointed out that based on NRA figures almost 21,000 vehicles per day are passing through Julianstown. In other words there are only 4000 less vehicles in Julianstown, a small village than on the state of the art €200M motorway. When you consider that there are 4 lanes on the M1 and the speed limit is more than double that in Julianstown, this means that Julianstown is 4 times more congested than the M1.
What makes things worse for villagers is that the contract for the toll obliges the operator to maintain the M1, Julianstown has to rely on cash strapped Meath County Council to look after the former N1 which was downgraded to the regional R132. According the the Council's 2003 annual report it spends 20 times less on the county's 297 miles of R roads than National primary routes such as the N2 and N3.
Something needs to be done!
The traffic volume in Julianstown is almost the same as that on the newly opened M1.
NTR, the company which operates the M1, West Link and East Link tolls made revenues of €24M and profits of €13M in the first 6 months of this year. The Drogheda Independent reported that revenues from the M1 toll were €9M or €50,000 per day for the first 6 months of 2005. Furthermore while revenues increased 25% profits rose by almost 100%.
Taking into account the cost of tolls and assuming 10% HGV traffic, this means that around 25,000 vehicles per day use the toll. We have already pointed out that based on NRA figures almost 21,000 vehicles per day are passing through Julianstown. In other words there are only 4000 less vehicles in Julianstown, a small village than on the state of the art €200M motorway. When you consider that there are 4 lanes on the M1 and the speed limit is more than double that in Julianstown, this means that Julianstown is 4 times more congested than the M1.
What makes things worse for villagers is that the contract for the toll obliges the operator to maintain the M1, Julianstown has to rely on cash strapped Meath County Council to look after the former N1 which was downgraded to the regional R132. According the the Council's 2003 annual report it spends 20 times less on the county's 297 miles of R roads than National primary routes such as the N2 and N3.
Something needs to be done!
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