ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Could Mersey Tunnel Tolls hit £1.60 in April? (From Wirral Globe)
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ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Could Mersey Tunnel Tolls hit £1.60 in April?
4:31pm Friday 22nd January 2010 in News By Justin Dunn
TUNNEL tolls through the Mersey could rise to £1.60 by April, motorists have been warned.
Merseytravel are meeting on Thursday, February 4 to decide their annual budget.
That will include a decision on whether to raise tolls at the Kingsway and Queensway tunnels connecting Liverpool with Wallasey and Birkenhead respectively, with any affect coming into force in the new financial year in April.
Now pressure group, the Mersey Tunnel Users Association (MTUA), is urging residents and motorists to lobby their local councillors against any rise.
In an open letter to Globe readers, MTUA secretary John McGoldrick said: "As you may remember, any toll rise is based on the retail price index (RPI) for the previous November compared with the RPI for November 1999 - but Merseytravel can decide to levy a lower toll (or even no toll).
"The RPI in November 2009 had not changed from 12 months before, but Merseytravel can in effect implement the toll increase that they agreed but then 'froze' last year.
"This means that they could decide to raise the toll for cars to £1.60, with similar percentange rises for other vehicle classes.
"You'll remember that at Dartford - owned by the Government - the tolls for "locals" were reduced at the end of 2008 to 20p and during 2008 we campaigned for a similar reduction here.
"You may also remember that Wirral Council seemed to support our call, but they and the Wirral MPs that the council said it had written to apparently did nothing effective."
He added: "What you may not be aware of is that in 2009 when the authorities wanted to increase the tolls on the Humber bridge, the Government said 'no' and gave a grant towards the running costs of the bridge.
"Each crossing is of course different, and one difference with the Mersey Tunnels is that they make a large profit and there is no need for a toll rise to cover costs - though Merseytravel may claim to you that they don't make a profit.
"Whatever has happened elsewhere, if people on Wirral don't make representations then a toll rise is quite possible.
"We have asked all our members, that we have email addresses for, to contact the Merseytravel councillors and request that they not increase the tolls."
Comments(21)
Jayo
says...
8:56pm Fri 22 Jan 10
£1.60 to go through the tunnel is an outrage.
At least they have dropped the pretence of the doing it for the environment clap trap.
£1.00 would be more than enough you greedy grasping b£££££ds.
Cllr Chris Blakeley
says...
12:31pm Sat 23 Jan 10
I have been told by Merseytravels Director of Resources that actual tolls paid will not increase this year. Read more about that here: http://bit.ly/6fL6r4
starry
says...
2:01pm Sat 23 Jan 10
hugo2008
says...
4:43pm Sat 23 Jan 10
hugo2008
says...
4:49pm Sat 23 Jan 10
Jayo
says...
9:09pm Sat 23 Jan 10
Cllr Chris Blakeley wrote:Thanks for the info Chris. I am more than happy to see no increase. So how about a reduction ?
Merseymouth, Jayo I have been told by Merseytravels Director of Resources that actual tolls paid will not increase this year. Read more about that here: http://bit.ly/6fL6r4
****
The only reason for the congestion Is the tolls itself. Scrap the tolls end the congestion and as Starry says it also cuts co2 because cars are not stopping and starting.
Cllr Chris Blakeley
says...
9:16pm Sat 23 Jan 10
hugo2008
says...
9:49pm Sat 23 Jan 10
But some of them are quite willing to change the subject.
Cllr Chris Blakeley
says...
9:54pm Sat 23 Jan 10
glenn, moreton
says...
11:40pm Sat 23 Jan 10
..
Just before last years elections the whole council announced that it would campaign to abolish tunnel tolls. What's happened since then - NOTHING. Why the grand announcement at the time? All over the front page of the Globe it was. What was the purpose of such a grand announcement just before the elections?
...
Any sign of transferring the tunnels to the direct control of the national highways agency? NO! Any work in this direction at all? NO.
..
No promises were made to scrap the tolls by the council (because they can't - they haven't got the power to do it, even when they are all united - apparently only councillors from liverpool have) but why bother to make such an announcement if you 're not committed to doing anything about it? It's an absolute waste of breath and the councillors should stop wasting our time with meaningless announcements unless THEY CAN ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. - please no more comments about how you are 'working towards a solution' - either sort the problem out that's stopping the WHOLE council scrapping them or shut up.
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And politicians wonder why people talk about all the hot air coming from the town hall!!
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No reductions then? No increase either? In fact, just about nothing happening at all to do what everyone wants - the scrapping of the tolls - just excuses from councillors who haven't got the slightest idea how to make it come about despite their bold proclamations.
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piggymalone
says...
12:03am Sun 24 Jan 10
Scales has to pay for his 70 million tram failure, 4.2 million U boat and all his other little tourist attraction toys somehow or other. Its about time he stuck to trying to improve the public transport service on merseyside which is what I always thought his quango was set up to do in the first place
hugo2008
says...
9:57am Sun 24 Jan 10
You can start with Tunnel Fees, Library Closures, Martin Morton, suppression of information from the total membership, and any other things you want to get off your chest.
Then tell us what you are going to do and how you feel about cleaning up Politics, just as your constituents have asked.
Jayo
says...
2:57pm Sun 24 Jan 10
To say the tunnels make no profit is an absolute lie straight out of the labour party big lie book.
*****
Security word- hole-mass
Cllr Chris Blakeley
says...
4:27pm Sun 24 Jan 10
hugo2008 wrote:Hugo, commentators on the Globe website always have my attention! Since I have been on Merseytavel, not only have I voted against any increase in tolls, I have moved amendments calling for discounts for local people,and even periods when the tunnels should be free, that is all well documented. Again with Libraries, I and the Conservative group in Wirral have consistently been the only party that opposed the closures. I participated in marches and rally's against the closure programme, and all of that is a matter of public record. Martin Morton, again it was a member of our group, and my ward colleauge, Cllr Simon Mountney who exposed this matter, it was the Conservative group who has, and remains committed to getting to the bottom of this matter, we have moved Notices of Motion in Council, and as our group leader has said, if we take control of the Council we will have a full inquiry. Again all a matter of public record. On the cleaning up politics question, would you be more specific, if you don't want to do that on this site for fear of Libel, please email me diirect: chrisblakeley@wirral
Thank you Chris Blakeley, at last got your attention, now will you catagoricaly state just how did you vote on a number of topics. Was it as your constituents wanted or was it as you were directed to by your leader. You can start with Tunnel Fees, Library Closures, Martin Morton, suppression of information from the total membership, and any other things you want to get off your chest. Then tell us what you are going to do and how you feel about cleaning up Politics, just as your constituents have asked.
.gov.uk with your concerns. On a general note I have always prided myself on being open, honest and transparent in my dealings, both with my constituents and in the Council. I am committed totally to represent the people who have put their trust and faith in me at the ballot box, first in 2000, then 2004 and again in 2008, and that committment will continue
bigfoot
says...
10:55pm Sun 24 Jan 10
hugo2008
says...
10:18am Mon 25 Jan 10
And with your authority and a clear mandate from the population use it to clear out the over paid executives from Wirral Council who have brought great shame on Wirral.
Start by fighting for an elected Mayor, with full executive powers, maybe even stand yourself for the post, you will have the support.
piggymalone
says...
12:22pm Mon 25 Jan 10
We have the chance in May to make dramatic changes and I would urge everyone to get out and vote but certainly think about who has brought Wirral into disrepute before making your decision.
slumdog
says...
2:06am Fri 29 Jan 10
hugo2008
says...
9:29am Sat 30 Jan 10
Or our local Government.
We have a similar situation her on the Wirral, the unholy alliance between LIB/LAB have been reasonable for some disasterous wastes of Rate Payers money, plus abuse and rob some of the least able in our society, not to say try and introduce measures to close things against rules and regulations.
By all accounts things would not be much better under a David Cameron administration.
Nationally Vince Cable seems to be the only politician who has said all the right things, But has little chance of winning an election.
Locally it is abundantly obvious that we need a new and different approach plus system of local government. Lets all of us push for some fundamental changes to the way we elect Councillors and manage our Council that we pay for directly.
hugo2008
says...
9:32am Sat 30 Jan 10
Merseymouth says...
5:10pm Fri 22 Jan 10
Don't mention the thirty odd thousand pounds that each councillor gets for being on the Merseytravel committee either. I think there are about twelve or so committee members?
It's obvious that they need the extra cash so stop moaning.
Got to go the nurse wants the crayons back.