The National Roads Authority has rebuffed a suggestion from Clare County Council that it offer discounts to motorists using the Limerick Tunnel.
Clare’s local representatives had urged the NRA to insist that charges at the Tunnel be reduced for a promotional period in order to increase usage, but the Authority says this would have seen it incur increased costs.
As current traffic levels have not reached targets set out in the public private partnership agreement, the state is already paying over €10,000 a day to subvent the company which built the tunnel.
Newmarket on Fergus Fianna Fail Councillor Pat McMahon feels this could have been reduced in the long run, by enticing new customers to the route.