Bid to reduce tunnel tolls defeated as councillors vote to freeze them until at least April 2011

Feb 10 2010 by Liam Murphy, Heswall News

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

Tolls for cars will stay at £1.40 until at least April, 2011.

A bid by Wirral Conservative councillors to reduce them further was voted down when the ruling transport authority met on Thursday.

Moreton 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.

Wirral Labour Councillor Ron Abbey supported his motion but was outvoted by the other members of the authority.

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.

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

Dave Loudon, the chairman of the Mersey Tunnels Users Association (MTUA), welcomed the decision to freeze the toll levels. He said: "This will save a regular user from having to hand over an extra £100 over the next 12 months.”

But the MTUA claimed there remained a “very big sting in the tail, as the report to members implied that the toll will almost certainly be increased in 2011”.

But Cllr Dowd said: “Claims we were considering a 20p rise are complete nonsense.”