COUNCILLORS will be asked to approve a tunnel toll freeze when they meet tomorrow after Merseytravel's committee made a shock u-turn.

Merseytravel was recommending the toll should increase by 10p - raising the cost of a one-way trip to £1.80. Drivers using Fast Tag payment will see the cost frozen at £1.40.

But at a meeting this afternoon, Thursday, the committee decided to recommend a freeze instead.

As the tunnels are now "assets" of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, of which Wirral Council's Labour leader Cllr Phil Davies is chairman, it will be up to them to consider the recommendation and take a final decision tomorrow, Friday.

Liam Robinson, chair of Merseytravel: "We appreciate that toll setting is always a difficult decision.

"In consideration of the tunnels being strategically important to the continued growth of the Liverpool City Region, linking people to jobs and opportunities we are recommending to the Combined Authority that they freeze all tunnel tolls, both Fast Tag and cash toll, for 2015/16."

John McGoldrick, secretary of Mersey Tunnel Users' Association said the proposed freeze was "a real surprise".

He told the Globe after this afternoon's meeting: "The report going to tomorrow's meeting of the Combined Authority says today Merseyside recommended a toll increase.

"Obviously this is a last-minute decision even to the extent, and we just don't understand this, that a few minutes before they decided the tolls weren't going up, they approved their budget for next year, which includes increase in the tolls.

"So, I think they are all in a bit of a spin, because they have got scared of the public reaction, partly because of what's been in the news media within the last week or two and decided to try and bury this issue for the next 12 months."

Merseytravel board member and Labour councillor for Leasowe Ron Abbey said: "We should now, at least ask the combined authority to ask the government to make amendments to the tunnels act, so we don't have this situation every year."