MERSEYTRAVEL has been slammed for taking around £185,000 each year in tolls from emergency services using the tunnels.

A campaign has been launched to give such vehicles free travel through the Birkenhead and Wallasey Tunnels.

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It comes after tunnel staff were criticised earlier this month after an ambulance carrying a pregnant Wirral woman was delayed over a £1.70 toll.

Eastham Liberal Democrat Cllr Chris Carubia – who set up the online petition – said Merseytravel “should be ashamed of themselves” for taking so much money a year in tolls to “swell their profits”.

An investigation was launched after the ambulance carrying 31-year-old Danielle Ollerhead was made to pull over at the toll booths at the Wallasey tunnel.

Danielle, from Birkenhead, was only 29 weeks pregnant at the time but was expected to give birth at any point.

She was being transferred back to Arrowe Park Hospital from Ormskirk Hospital, where she had been taken due to a lack of space in the Wirral hospital’s special baby unit.

When space was made available for Danielle, she was transferred back to Wirral on an emergency run, although the ambulance’s blue lights were not active.

She told the Globe how the ambulance driver was asked for a Fast Tag at the toll booth, something he didn’t have because they were from Lancashire.

When the ambulance driver refused to pay because they were on an emergency job, the ambulance was made to pull to one side while a manager for the tunnel operator was contacted.

At the time, Danielle said: “I am carrying a child that needs special care, if anything were to happen, that time could have been the difference between my unborn child’s life, health, death.

“What an absolute disgrace. They were asking our amazing paramedics for £1.70 and actually stopped an ambulance in its tracks on what was classified as an emergency.”

Merseytravel apologised for the “poor customer service” received but told the Globe it is down to the emergency services to inform their control room if they have a vehicle approaching on an emergency job.

A spokesman for the transport operator said: “The arrangement we have with the emergency services is that toll barriers are lifted and their vehicles travel for free through the Mersey Tunnels when they are on pre-notified blue light runs. Those on non-blue light duties are subject to the same charges as any other organisation, business or individual.”

Cllr Carubia believes all emergency vehicles, whether they are on blue light runs or not, should be granted free travel through the tunnels.

He said: “Merseytravel say that emergency services not on emergency calls are charged like any other business but fire and ambulance services are not a business and should not be charged.

“Merseytravel should be ashamed of themselves in this time of austerity and cutbacks for taking £185,000 a year in tolls to swell their profits on what was supposed to be free to the region years ago.

“The statement from Merseytravel that if on an emergency run they ring the tunnel and inform a manager first, they will be let through without charge is so ridiculous it does not deserve discussing.”

His campaign follows a Freedom of Information request by former Oxton Lib Dem Stuart Kelly which revealed Merseytravel raises £185,000 each year – based on the usage over the last three months period - through the use of emergency services via the tunnels.

  • The petition can be signed here.