When the tunnel first opened in 1934, I think I'm right in saying it was 12d, a shilling per person,5p in today's money. can't remember where I read that or how long that method of payment lasted. If it was that method of payment now, the car boots would be splitting at the seams.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
I can't be certain about this but I'm pretty sure that at one time you had to pay per person, why else would my friend's dad have put me in the back and covered me with a sack? - We went to Lime Street station to pick up a parcel and for the rest of the day I was terrified of being seen. Ah well, at least it taught me my place in life LOL.
It looks fairly certain that the charges were originally per person.
I've got a booklet about the tunnel which says: 'On July 21, 1958, a new simplified toll structure was brought into operation, standardising the toll for a private car at 1s 6d and giving exemption from the payment toll of passengers conveyed in private cars or goods vehicles.'
See also this toll booklet (attached) published about 1963-1964.
It's interesting to see that although they had stopped levying tolls on individuals in cars in 1958, they were still charging people who went through the tunnel in taxis and on coaches and buses (I assume that's what they mean by Hackney Vehicles). It was a penny for children and tuppence for over-14s.
I wonder how these tolls were paid when a crowded bus drew up at the toll booth? Did the driver have to hand over cash to cover all on board, or did passengers have to pay individually? No wonder there were always massive queues for the tunnel when I was a kid.
