Tunnel toll rise is a 'hammer blow' for Wirral says council leader (From Wirral Globe)
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Tunnel toll rise is a 'hammer blow' for Wirral says council leader
4:36pm Thursday 3rd February 2011 in News By Craig Manning
WIRRAL Council leader Jeff Green has blasted the 10p increase in tunnel tolls calling it "a hammer blow for the borough."
The board of Merseytravel this afternoon narrowly voted to increase tunnel tolls by ten pence. The price increase will take effect this April.
The 18-strong board was split down the middle with nine in favour and nine against - the increase was forced through on the casting vote of its chairman, Sefton Labour councillor Mark Dowd.
Councillor Green said: "This is a hammer blow to people in Wirral and makes a mockery of Labour's claims to be on the side of working people.
"Labour-led Merseytravel is in denial over the economic problems facing Merseyside.
"They had a choice today whether to use some of Merseytravel's cash reserves already generated by their previous increases in tolls and they chose instead to hit drivers, families and small businesses.
"While I and the administration running Wirral are trying our best to keep costs down and protect services, it seems Merseytravel are going in the opposite direction."
The four Wirral councillors on the Merseytravel board voted against the increase.
Addressing the committee prior to voting Chris Blakeley, Conservative councillor for Moreton West & Saughall, said: "The CBI are opposed to this, the Federation of Small Businesses are opposed to this, as is the leader of Wirral Council.
"The public are equally against any increase."
Eastham Liberal Democrat councillor David Mitchell said: "With the current economic situation it would be wrong to increase the tolls.
"We need to be realistic and think about what people can afford in this day and age."
Before casting his deciding vote, Cllr Dowd said: "The people who use the tunnels must pay for them - it is impossible for the tunnels to be free.
"In my opinion, we need to put the tolls up. We are all in the mire and I'm sorry, but as far as I'm concerned, I will be backing the recommendation.
"If it means using the casting vote then I have no problem with that."
Comments(18)
spenser
says...
5:10pm Thu 3 Feb 11
johnbrace
says...
5:32pm Thu 3 Feb 11
So, I from Cllr Dowd's perspective a 10p rise on Class 1, 20p rise on Class 2, 30p rise on Class 3 and 40p rise on Class 4 tolls probably doesn't mean as much as it does to the rest of us does it?
toms111s
says...
7:09pm Thu 3 Feb 11
Don't the tunnel users also pay for public transport projects, submarines and other things totally removed from the tunnels? How about using some of that money to maintain the tunnels instead of ripping us all off? I don't mind paying for something if I'm getting value for money.
If Merseytravel offered a reliable service that could get me from Greasby to Knowsley for 6:00 am then I would use it. The fact that they can't and I nearly got fired for being late so many times, made me learn to drive and get a car.
Thanks a lot Cllr Dowd, you really are class A moron.
toms111s
says...
7:20pm Thu 3 Feb 11
mark.dowd@councillor
s.sefton.gov.uk
hugo2008
says...
9:18pm Thu 3 Feb 11
On a serious note I would urge all drivers to only use the manned booths,
oops! I must be PC and say the staffed booths, should be the only ones used, and lets demonstrate the sheer stupidity of the situation, to create a few jobs all the booths should be staffed 24 hours 7 days a week, this would at least use up some of the vast profit the Tunnels make. This could shave off a little from the Chief Executives Bonus Payment.
Spiffy
says...
10:38pm Thu 3 Feb 11
...
No they're not. They're well aware of just how bad things are and ...like anything labour-led...money-g
rubbing for every last penny from a dying cash-cow.
Arris
says...
1:04am Fri 4 Feb 11
Why are they messing about with child play areas and tourism when all they are there to do, is provide travel?
As for Dowd, Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
I suppose a 10p increase is nothing to him when he is on £54k (from Merseytravel) and he probably has a free fast tag.
grumpybob
says...
9:32am Fri 4 Feb 11
Hon
says...
11:56am Fri 4 Feb 11
steady cyclist
says...
1:44pm Fri 4 Feb 11
Or like me dont use the thing, use public transport.
Jayo
says...
4:45pm Fri 4 Feb 11
johnbrace wrote:It always amazes me that the so called "socialists" always turn out to be greedy money grabbing protectionists. And the labour party (party for the working class) voting mugs fall for it time and time again.
@bob wirral Cllr Dowd got £54,044.09 last year for being Chair of Merseytravel which included £5,992.29 in travel and subsistence payments (in addition to what he gets as a Sefton councillor). So, I from Cllr Dowd's perspective a 10p rise on Class 1, 20p rise on Class 2, 30p rise on Class 3 and 40p rise on Class 4 tolls probably doesn't mean as much as it does to the rest of us does it?
Ben Beaconsfield
says...
8:52am Sat 5 Feb 11
Somebody once said: "Politics is the art of the possible." Clly Dowd should reflect on that.
katryn
says...
6:45pm Sat 5 Feb 11
Jayo
says...
8:56pm Sat 5 Feb 11
katryn wrote:It's not only 10p. Its £1.50 in a car and £1.50 to come back = £3.00 for gods sake !
Its only 10p for gods sake!
*
The original loan for the tunnel was around £37 million. The tunnel taxes its users for around £32 million a year and has a expenditure of around £8 million a year. £24 million profit.
We are all not in the mire after all faux comrade !
katryn
says...
4:50pm Mon 7 Feb 11
2grunt2
says...
10:55am Tue 8 Feb 11
Try getting a bus at 2 in the morning!!!
2grunt2
says...
11:04am Tue 8 Feb 11
bob wirral says...
4:58pm Thu 3 Feb 11