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(this page created 6 February 2010)

2010 TOLL increase postponed, but sting in the tail

On Thursday 4 February 2010, Merseytravel met to discuss increasing tolls - cars going up to £1.60 and the other classes going up to £3.10, £4.70 and £6.20. They agreed to the increase in the tolls, but at the same time agreed to "discount" these tolls up to 31 March 2011. It was indicated that tolls would almost certainly be raised in April 2011.

Part of the report considered by members was a consultants report which claimed that tolls prevented "unacceptable" levels of congestion, that tolls beneftted the Wirral economy and many jobs would be lost if tolls went. Naturally we don't agree with this report, but you can read it and form your own judgement - "Mersey Tunnels Tolls - Evaluating the Impacts" - Consultants report - November 2009.

The rest of this page gives more details.
Message to councillors before the meeting (pdf file on separate page).
What happened at the meeting
Press reports.

What happened at the Merseytravel meeting

Two of us from the MTUA were at the meeting where the Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority (more commonly known as Merseytravel) met to consider their budget (for the year starting in April 2010) and to consider a possible increase in Tunnel tolls. The discussion of the Tunnel tolls showed that either councillors were better informed about the Tunnels finances than last year or thought that it was prudent to say nothing.

Since the change in the law that Merseytravel managed to get though Parliament in 2004, they have to decide each February whether to increase tolls based on the movement in RPI since November 1999. The Act says that the toll can be rounded up, so that with inflation the current £1.40 toll for a car could have gone to £1.60, with corresponding increases for other vehicles. The Act also says that when making an increase, Merseytravel should have "regard" to matters of an "economic or social nature" on Merseyside. In fact there do not have to be any tolls. Under part of the former legislation which was not repealed and still applies, Merseytravel has the power to "cease to demand, take and recover tolls in respect of traffic or any class of traffic passing through or into any of the tunnels". It also has the power to "allow traffic, or any class of traffic, to use any of the tunnels without paying tolls or on payment of tolls at a reduced rate during such hours, on such occasions or in such other circumstances as it may from time to time determine..

As the RPI in November 2009 was almost exactly the same as in November 2008, the proposal before this meeting was the same as in February 2009, i.e. that the tolls be increased with the toll for cars going to £1.60 and the tolls for other vehicles ranging up to £6.20, but with the increase "discounted" back to current toll rates.

Councillor Chris Blakeley, a Tory councillor from the Wirral, moved an amendment that instead of an increase (albeit frozen) the toll for cars should actually go down by ten pence. He was supported by two other councillors from the Wirral (Ian Lewis, Tory, and Ron Abbey, Labour). The amendment was defeated and the substantive motion was then passed by 14 votes to 3. Though the motion had already passed, somehow or other, Chris Blakeley put down another amendment, this time with the ten pence reduction only applying to cars with an AVI Fast tag. This amendment was supported by the same councillors and also defeated, with the substantive motion being passed again by 14 vote to three. Here are some quotes from the discussion at the meeting -
  • Cllr Chris Blakeley - motorists are at the mercy of the 2004 Act .... Wirral are poor relations .... been told by the finance officer that over last 5 years, £17.1 million of tolls has been used on local transport schemes .. and another £17 million gone into repair & renewals fund .... also been told by the finance officer that the cost of reducing car tolls by 10 pence would be £2.4 million, or only £0.7 million if it was just for tag users.

  • Cllr Mark Dowd - all three parties supported the Tunnels Act .... in 1992 tolls were £1, and today they are £1.40 - compare that with the rise in the price of cigarettes.

  • Cllr Ian Lewis - Wirral workers are the lowest paid on Merseyside.

  • Merseytravel "Chief Executive and Director General" - remember colleagues that all districts agreed the principles of the Mersey tunnels Act which are - 1. It is the law that the tolls mist be raised. 2. To pay for insulation on properties where there was a legal gap which meant that Wirral Council was not responsible and neither was Merseytravel. 3. Surplus toll revenue was to be used for Local Transport Programme. 4. When debts are paid off tolls will fall if agreed by a referendum.
    the power to discount tolls is only if appropriate. Colleagues will be acting ultra vires if they don't increase tolls and it will also cause congestion. When the first tunnel was congested, we had to build a second tunnel. It would be in defiance of what I told Parliament, that tolls must be raised .... the Colin Buchanan report raises interesting questions    .

    • Some of the press reports before and after the meeting

    Friday 5 Feb 2010 - Daily Post - "Mersey Tunnel tolls remain frozen for another year".
    Friday 5 Feb 2010 - Wirral Globe - "Mersey Tunnel tolls frozen for another year".
    Thursday 4 Feb 2010 - Click Liverpool - "Liverpool - Wirral tunnel tolls pegged... for now.
    Thursday 4 Feb 2010 - Daily Post - "Wirral Conservatives in bid to cut tunnels tolls".
    Monday 1 Feb 2010 - Daily Post - "Traffic crush fears if Mersey Tunnel tolls are removed".
    Wednesday 3 Feb 2010 - Daily Post (letter from MTUA) - "Tunnel doom and gloom".
    Wednesday 27 Jan 2010 - Wirral Globe - "Icy reception for Moreton Tory councillor who announced tolls would be frozen".
    Tuesday 26 Jan 2010 - Liverpool Echo editorial - "Let’s make Liverpool more user-friendly by reducing Mersey Tunnel tolls".
    Tuesday 26 Jan 2010 - Daily Post - "Mersey Tunnel tolls expected to be frozen again".
    Friday 22 Jan 2010 - Wirral Globe - "ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Could Mersey Tunnel Tolls hit £1.60 in April?".

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