Review urged over toll rise plans

Prepaid toll charges will also be increased (Pic: Chris Hayward)

Town councillors in Cornwall want plans for a 50% increase in toll charges to cross the River Tamar to be reviewed.

The Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee wants to charge drivers £1.50 to use the bridge or Torpoint Ferry - a rise of 50p.

Discounted prepaid tolls would also be subject to a 50% rise, from 50p to 75p.

At a meeting on Thursday night, Saltash Town Council recommended the 50% rise should be reviewed and should not be such a substantial increase.

If approved, the increases would be the first cash toll rise since 1994 and prepaid rise since 1997.

Routine costs

According to the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee, the reason for the proposed fare increase was because many routine costs had increased year-on-year, often at a faster rate than inflation.

In September, the committee - made up of councillors from Plymouth City Council and Cornwall County Council and toll ferry and bridge operators - approved proposals to raise tolls at the crossings to fund the forecasted costs of operating, maintaining and improving them.

I do not think the level of increase is justified

Derek Holley, Saltash Mayor

It also decided to defer any price rise from 1 January until December 2009.

However, it had to carry out a public consultation exercise, which finishes this month.

One aspect of the consultation is to allow the main statutory consultees, Saltash Town Council, to debate the proposed rise - which many people think is too steep.

Derek Holley, Saltash Mayor, said: "I think they are just doing this [increase charges by 50%] to build up a healthy bank balance, but now is not the time to do it.

"I do not think the level of increase is justified."

John McGoldrick, a spokesman for National Alliance Against Tolls, said he believed the toll charges should be abolished all together.

'No justification'

"There is no justification for tolls, let alone toll increases," he said.

"The amount that is collected from drivers should have paid off the construction cost many years go.

"The tolls should be removed and we hope that all users of the bridge will make that clear to the politicians."

The committee is to meet on 16 January to discuss feedback from the public consultation.

Subject to the outcome, the next step will be for the committee to apply to the Department of Transport for permission to implement the rises.