Mersey Tunnel tolls remain frozen for another year

Feb 5 2010 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

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

As the Daily Post revealed last week, tolls for cars will stay at £1.40 until at least April, 2011.

A bid by 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 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 he 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.

Cllr Mark Dowd, chair of Merseytravel, said: “We are delighted 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.