Government’s tunnel vision over Mersey discount hopes

Jun 25 2008 by Sue McCann, Birkenhead News

THE people of Wirral are responding in their droves to our campaign for the government to take over the running of the Mersey tunnel.

Wirral News last week urged the public to back a move that would see control of the two tunnels no longer in the hands of Merseytravel and for the introduction of discounts for local residents who use them.

The government is already consulting on plans to give local people an 80% discount on the Dartford crossing, near London. But this week South Wirral MP Ben Chapman, who is also campaigning for the Mersey tunnels discount, said the government was refusing to intervene to bring parity between the two regions.

He said: “After having written to Transport Minister Rosie Winterton about the ‘manifest unfairness’ behind the decision to allow local residents who use the Dartford crossing a discount but not extending a similar offer to those living near the Mersey tunnels, I have now received her response. It details the reasons why the government refuses to intervene to allow an exemption to the Mersey tunnels toll for local residents.

“The letter says the Dartford discount scheme should not be seen as a precedent. She says the combination of circumstances at Dartford makes the situation there unique as the crossing is part of the national and international trunk road network, and that the government will not intervene in the Mersey tunnel tolls since it is right that ‘decisions relating to roads with a more regional and local function are taken locally’.”

The MP added “This response is as I expected.

“I still maintain that this discrepancy reflects the north-south divide.

“The fact that Dartford residents get a discount when using their local crossing but Merseysiders do not when they use theirs is simply unfair.

“It is all very well to state that this is not a precedent. But Wirralians will see it as such.

“It is clearly a precedent for discounts on tolls for local residents. While Dartford may be unique, so in their own way are the tunnels.

“Merseyside is the only conurbation to have a main artery tolled in this way.”

Pressure group Mersey Tunnel Users Association believes the tunnel should be run by the government through the Highways Agency.

He said: “Earlier this year we saw an historic move when all parties on Wirral Council united to call for tolls to be scrapped.

“With the right political will, the government could be persuaded to cancel the historic tunnel debt.”

If you think the government should take over the running of the Mersey tunnels, fill in the coupon and send it to Tunnel Tolls, Wirral News, 76 Hamilton Street, Birkenhead CH41 5AN.