5% Bridge toll rise will be hammer blow for Welsh Economy (Monmouth Liberal Democrats)

Cymraeg
English

Monmouth Liberal Democrats <janetellard58@hotmail.com>

5% Bridge toll rise will be hammer blow for Welsh Economy

October 14, 2008 12:00 AM
Originally published by Welsh Liberal Democrats

Severn Bridge tolls are set to rise by 30p next year putting the minimum cost of coming in to Wales up to £5.60, and sending the cost to HGVs through the £16 barrier.

Mike German leader of the Welsh Liebral Democrats and Severn Tolls campaigner, said the new rise would be a severe blow to commuters and the Welsh Economy.

He said: "This 5% rise in the cost of coming in to Wales will be a real hammer blow to commuters who use this stretch of the motorway on a regular basis. Particularly as by January, when the increase kicks in, it is likely that inflation will be heading down again.

"I have long believed that the toll is a psychological barrier to people coming to Wales, whether for work or leisure. Adding another 30p to the toll for cars, with higher rises for vans and lorries, only makes this problem worse."

He said he hoped the rising cost would force the government to take action to allow credit and debit card payments at the toll booths as well as prepayment via the internet and mobile phones.

"We have this crazy situation where you can only pay in cash (or cheque backed by a bankcard) to cross the bridge. With the tolls now fast approaching £6, it is no longer reasonable to expect people to carry that much in loose change. For businesses it's becoming a real burden: van and lorry drivers, would find it difficult to walk if they had that much change in their pockets!

"It sounds like a joke, and hit Welsh TV comedy show Gavin and Stacey has already made fun of it. It is a relic from a bygone age.

"I have been campaigning for a while now to allow card payments, and the rising cost of the tolls makes this campaign more urgent than ever. The government needs to get together with Severn Crossings - who operate the bridges - and sort this out now.

Mr German said he hoped that tolls would be scrapped forever, once the cost of building the second bridge has been met.

He said: "At some point in the next decade the bridges will return to government ownership. I hope that at that point, the government will scrap the tolls, and remove a damaging tax barrier to prosperity in Wales."

Notes:

Tolls rise every January in line with the RPI in the previous September.

Prices from January (unofficial calculation)

Current price rise to nearest 10p new cost from January

£5.30 5% = 26.5p 30p £5.60

£10.60 5% = 53p 50p £11.10

£15.90 5% = 79.5p 80p £16.70