TUNNEL tolls through the Mersey could rise to £1.60 by April, motorists have been warned.

Merseytravel are meeting on Thursday, February 4 to decide their annual budget.

That will include a decision on whether to raise tolls at the Kingsway and Queensway tunnels connecting Liverpool with Wallasey and Birkenhead respectively, with any affect coming into force in the new financial year in April.

Now pressure group, the Mersey Tunnel Users Association (MTUA), is urging residents and motorists to lobby their local councillors against any rise.

In an open letter to Globe readers, MTUA secretary John McGoldrick said: "As you may remember, any toll rise is based on the retail price index (RPI) for the previous November compared with the RPI for November 1999 - but Merseytravel can decide to levy a lower toll (or even no toll).

"The RPI in November 2009 had not changed from 12 months before, but Merseytravel can in effect implement the toll increase that they agreed but then 'froze' last year.

"This means that they could decide to raise the toll for cars to £1.60, with similar per centange rises for other vehicle classes.

"You'll remember that at Dartford - owned by the Government - the tolls for "locals" were reduced at the end of 2008 to 20p and during 2008 we campaigned for a similar reduction here.

"You may also remember that Wirral Council seemed to support our call, but they and the Wirral MPs that the council said it had written to apparently did nothing effective."

He added: "What you may not be aware of is that in 2009 when the authorities wanted to increase the tolls on the Humber bridge, the Government said 'no' and gave a grant towards the running costs of the bridge.

"Each crossing is of course different, and one difference with the Mersey Tunnels is that they make a large profit and there is no need for a toll rise to cover costs - though Merseytravel may claim to you that they don't make a profit.

"Whatever has happened elsewhere, if people on Wirral don't make representations then a toll rise is quite possible.

"We have asked all our members, that we have email addresses for, to contact the Merseytravel councillors and request that they not increase the tolls."


http://www.tunnelusers.org.uk/

THE GLOBE

I've just had a thought, what happened to the 2.5% of VAT off the toll prices last year?

Not sure if they can charge VAT on a toll? I might well be wrong though. However, the VAT reduction was voluntary, but they could not charge 17.5% unless they were paying that level to the government.

Many stores kept their pricing at 17.5% once the VAT reduction hype was over, but only charge and paid 15%, therefore spooning it in; and now they are saying they are holding VAT lol. There is no way are the likes of DSGi suddenly going to give up 2.1% of their revenue just to keep customers happy - so in other words, the consumers have been ripped off yet again.

They could cut costs by getting rid of the large number of Tunnel Police , whose main occupation appears to be shuffling traffic cones & sneaking up behind vehicles to catch them doing a couple of m.p.h. over the limit.
The 'work' they do could be carried out by a small recovery service.
The excess profits generated by the tunnels should be used to reduce tolls & not diverted to subsidise other loss-making parts of Merseytravel.
I believe that the corrugated cladding fitted to the sides of the 'Queensway' tunnel is to be relaced.Let us hope that the idiot responsible for the corrugated cladding is not involved in its replacement. The cleaning bill for this over the years must have been astronomical , due to its profile & surface area compared to smooth cladding.

Bob.

I'd say they need this extra twenty pence.
I think the tunnel does an excellent job being a big hole in the ground that people drive though. If it weren't for the extra money, the tunnel may collapse.

Granted, it's the filthiest, yellowest, least attractive fooking tunnel I've ever seen in my enitre life - what other tunnel makes you want a bath after driving though?! - the roads may feel like you're going down the stairs on your arse, and they do feel the need to close the tunnel some nights so they can save the money on all those bulbs, but the staff really work hard in their little cubicles, raising their hand, and then lowering their hand to give change for the machine. And who would put that massive poppy up at the entrance (surrounded by Liverpool's discarded road signs, traffic cones, etc)?
It doesn't matter if the tunnel was meant to be free of charge once the debt had been paid off in the 1960's.

etc etc etc

Went thru the contra flow yesterday at Liverpool end, and some balloon in a blue Corsa came bombing up the outside lane trying to pass the traffic before the lanes merged. Prob is he didnt judge the length of the low loader infront of me!
Funny as hell as he merged suddenly with the cones and lights!!! What a prick, nobody stopped either, just saw everyone laughing as he was punching his steering wheel!!!
I had great pleasure informing the woan in the booth to let the police know, she cudnt beleive it!!

Corsa drivers - I rest my case

My experience of Corsas at the tunnel was a Corsa full of chavs charging through the gap next to the 'staffed' booth where the bikes are supposed to go through for free. I said to the attendant did you see that?. He didnt and also did not seem to care either. I felt like saying if that's your attitude I will do the same on my way home tomorrow.

the tunnel tolls have got to be increased as they are talking about running the tram again out to kirby. As you may remember they went and bought all the tram lines and then the goverment pulled the plug on the money Mersey Travel where going to get from them to pay for the project. So the only way they can raise the cash is soak the motorists who use the tunnels.

I must've been distracted one time I went through the tunnel but I flashed my fast tag and didn't recall whether the barrier went up or not (it didn't and I drove straight through it). Once I realised what I had done I stopped, got out, looked to see if there was any damage to my car (no), looked round for someone in authority (none), so got back in car and drove off, no repercussions.

£1.60?

Glad I've got this:

The thing is, if you drove to and from Liverpool the long way, or took the train, bus or ferry, it would cost you more than the return tunnel fare

True.

I got two return train tickets from Eastham to Liverpool, £6.40

I was only going to liverpool for half an hour, would have been cheaper to just pay tunnel and parking

No increase to Mersey tunnel tolls for another year




MERSEY Tunnel tolls are expected to remain the same for another year.

Public transport authority Merseytravel is set to be advised to maintain the current charges for using the Wallasey and Birkenhead tunnels for all classes of vehicles.

The Mersey Tunnels Act 2004 allows operator Merseytravel to raise tolls in line with inflation without the need to hold a public inquiry.

Tolls for motorists in cars were last increased in April 2008 from £1.30 to £1.40.

Last year Merseytravel agreed to freeze tolls at the 2008 levels for 12 months.

The aim was to ease the financial burden on drivers during the recession.

However, it was expected the rate would increase to £1.60 this year.

But, Cllr Chris Blakeley who sits on the authority board, said he had discussed the tolls with Merseytravel’s director of resources.

He said he had been told the recommendation would be to retain the current charges.


THE WIRRAL NEWS

I got around it buy buying a bike

Icy reception for Moreton Tory councillor who announced tolls would be frozen



A TORY councillor who claims Mersey Tunnel tolls will remain frozen this year has stirred up a political storm.
[img:right]Chris Blakeley[/img]
Merseytravel board member and Moreton Conservative councillor Chris Blakeley has been assuring people via his website this week that the controversial tolls will not rise for a second year running.

Yet any decision on whether to raise tolls from £1.40 to £1.60 each way - originally proposed last year but deferred because of the credit crunch - will not be taken until Merseytravel, the tunnel's administrative body, meets early next month.

The matter has not even been discussed between the largest political group on the board, the Liberal Democrats, who are due to meet with Merseytravel's director of resources Jim Barclay to discuss the issue this Thursday - in advance of the whole board's budget discussions on February 4.

The Globe has spoken to several members of the Merseytravel board and all of them - apart from Cllr Blakeley - agree that there is not yet even an agenda for the February 4 budget meeting.

The board's chairman, Sefton Labour Cllr Mark Dowd, said that without an agenda it was impossible to say what would be discussed or any decisions that would be made.

Eastham Cllr Dave Mitchell, a Liberal Democrat member of the Merseytravel board, said: "This is blatant electioneering by Cllr Blakeley.

"We simply do not know what will happen at the meeting on February 4. There literally isn’t an order of business yet, let alone any kind of decision.

"It is impossible to say what is going to be talked about the budget meeting because so far, there isn’t even an agenda."

The 18-strong Merseytravel board is made up of councillors drawn from across the five Merseyside councils of Wirral, Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens.

Nine of them are Liberal Democrats, six Labour, and three Conservatives. The board is effectively “hung” with the Tories holding a powerful casting vote.

Cllr Blakeley this week insisted to the Globe that Merseytravel’s resources chief Mr Barclay, along with its chief executive Neil Scales, had assured him that no one would be recommending a toll rise.

"The authority will have the final decision but that’s what I've been told," he said.

THE GLOBE

I think every penny of the toll is justified. Where else in the world would you get a Private Police force being paid top dollar to play with road cones all day, every day! Whatever training these guys go through must be extremely rigourous, I've even seen one officer doing something us mere mortals could never do... He moved TWO cones at once!!! Obviously chasing promotion.
A big Hurrah for the CONE POLICE!

Jesus, I did'nt realise the trains were that expensive nowadays. But they do have the advantage of not having paking charges or arsing about in Liverpool traffic.

I am shocked by modern-day train prices, the government want everyone to ditch their cars and use the trains, yet recently, out of interest, I priced up a return ticket to go and see my dad by train, and exclusing bus/taxi to travel the 10 miles or so from the train station, it was going to cost me £115 or £56 if I returned on the same day lol. It costs about £35 fuel or so in my car for a return journey, my previous car would have been about £20 or so.

The train takes over 3:30 with 3 changes etc plus the time it takes to get a bus/taxi from the station to my dads (I was working out like-for-like from my door to my dads, not considering he could pick me up), it takes just over 2 hours by car with no hassle lol.

Would I ever go on a train? No way haha!

And don't forget that train fares are subsidised up to the hilt, it is actually costing you a lot more than this from your taxes etc.

Good News!!!

TUNNEL tolls will stay at the same levels after Merseytravel agreed to continue the freeze for another year.

However, a bid by the three Conservative councillors to reduce them further was voted down when the ruling transport authority met yesterday.

Wirral councillor Chris Blakeley had put forward two motions, first calling for a 10p reduction for car drivers and then for a reduction on “Fast Tags”, but the Tories were outvoted by the Labour and Lib-Dems.

Cllr Blakeley admitted their proposals could have fallen foul of the Tunnels Act which allows Merseytravel to increase tolls in line with inflation, but said it “shows just how bad the Tunnels Act is, taking away power from locally elected members”.

Under the Act Merseytravel could increase tolls to £1.60 for cars but members voted to freeze them at the current levels, which for cars remains at £1.40.

Cllr Mark Dowd, chairman of Merseytravel, said: “We are delighted that we have been able to retain the tolls at their current level for a further 12 months.

“Under the Mersey Tunnels Act we are obliged to keep tolls in line with RPI, but there is a clause which allows us to freeze them in exceptional economic or social conditions.

“There is however, no provision under the Act which allows any other variation. This would require a change in the Act itself.”

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/live...s-held-for-another-year-100252-25766866/