There is a big debate in Ireland about toll roads. A lot of people are very angry about the amount they have to pay, the toll plaza queues they have to endure and the fact that a lot of the cash is going into private hands. Senator Shane Ross’s website contains links to some of the on-line debates.

However, the government and private bodies involved are completely failing to engage. They aren’t participating and they are pretending they aren’t paying any attention.

This can’t go on. Organizations like the National Roads Authority, National Toll Roads and the government are completely ignoring the debate that is going on. They occasionally respond on the radio, but it just isn’t a suitable issue for dealing with all of the complicated issues that are involved with public transport.

There are probably good reasons for not removing the tolls, but the government and the toll companies aren’t succeeding in getting their message across. They aren’t explaining the issues well, and they aren’t giving people the information they need to make their minds up.

The government and the various agencies need to stop sticking their heads in the sand. This is a big deal. The tolls issue hits a lot of people hard, and they aren’t going to just forget about it. The Internet is giving the ordinary people a chance to organize and get their voice heard.

The government needs to get in their and make sure its side of the argument is heard as well.