THE Traffic Penalty Tribunal met this Tuesday to review the decision that the Gateway tolls and penalties are not enforceable because of "procedural inproprieties."
This is an unprecedented case and if the review confirms that the tolls are not enforceable it is difficult to see how Halton Council can avoid repaying the millions that it has collected in tolls and penalties.
We will be at the hearing to see if it will confirm the decision made on February 16 that the tolls are illegal because Halton Council made various mistakes when they introduced the tolls.
That decision of the tribunal was not made public till April 8.
It was of great importance to all users of the crossing and in particular to all those who were still being threatened by penalties.
It is a principle of democracy that there should be a separation of powers between the courts and those who make the law. That principle seems not to have been followed.
Despite that we still hope the new adjudicator is not convinced by the council to change the tribunal decision of February 16.
If the decision is confirmed then the council will have to refund about seven million tolls and 350,000 penalties.
We hope that the Government will be persuaded that this is a good time to remove the tolls completely.
John McGoldrick, Scrap Mersey Tolls
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