S.L. 499.74 Art. 6External-cost charge.

(1) The Authority may introduce an external-cost charge, related to the cost of traffic-based air pollution, noise pollution, CO emissions or any combination thereof. 2

(2) If an external-cost charge is applied for heavy-duty vehicles, the Authority shall vary it and establish it in accordance with the minimum requirements and the methods referred to in the Second Schedule and shall respect the reference values set out in the Third Schedule and the Fourth Schedule.

(3) The amount of the external-cost charge shall be set by the Authority.

(4) The Authority may apply exemptions which allow external-cost charges to be adjusted for vehicles of historical interest.

(5) When levying an external-cost charge for air or noise pollution, the Authority shall take into account the costs relating to the network or the part of the network on which that charge is levied and the vehicles that are subject to that charge.

(6) The external-cost charge related to traffic-based air pollution shall not apply to heavy-duty vehicles which comply with the most stringent of Euro emission standards:

Provided that such exemption shall cease to apply four

(4) years after the date when the rules which introduced those standards started to apply.

(7) In the event that such charges are introduced, with effect from 25th March 2026, the Authority shall apply an external-cost charge for traffic-based air pollution to heavy-duty vehicles on the tolled network referred to in regulation 3(1):

Provided that the Authority may decide not to apply an external-cost charge on those road sections where this would lead to the diversion of the most polluting vehicles, resulting in negative impacts on road safety and public health.