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(this page created 4 January 2013, updated last on 17 April 2013)

2013 TOLL increase

Merseytravel decided on the 7th February to increase cash tolls from April. The increase for cars is 10 pence, with corresponding increases for lorries etc of up to 40p. At the last minute they decided not to increase the tolls for Fast Tag users.

10 pence may not seem like a lot, but for a regular car user it is forty pounds a year and comes on top of the one pound 50 that he is already paying and makes the Tunnels the third most expensive crossing in Britain.


PROTEST as the tolls went up on Easter Monday 1 April 2013.

Background

What has been happening elsewhere over last 12 months

What happened at the 10th Jan meeting

The report considered by Merseytravel members on 7th Feb (pdf)

MESSAGE TO MERSEYTRAVEL councillors from MTUA before the 7th February meeting (pdf file).

What happened at the 7th Feb meeting

MESSAGE TO MERSEYTRAVEL councillors from MTUA after the 7th February meeting (pdf file).

Press reports.

Background

The law used to be that toll increases were only allowed if they were needed to pay for the Tunnels. But in 2004, Merseytravel got through Parliament a new law which allows them to increase tolls in line with the movement in the RPI between November 1998 (when there had just been an increase) and the November preceding the possible increase. The calculated toll is rounded to the nearest ten pence. There is a rider that Merseytravel have to consider the local economic and social conditions before they decide on the new toll.

Merseytravel interpret the law as meaning that they are forced each year to set the toll in line with the maximum allowed by the RPI and they call this the "authorised" toll.

They then, in their words, decide what if any "discount" there will be. So the "authorised" tolls might be increased, but the actual tolls payable might not increase at all.

In fact Merseytravel have always had the power to reduce or remove any of the tolls at any or all times. So whatever the state of the economy may be, they don't really have to increase the tolls payable.

When the law was changed in 2004, Merseytavel figures showed that they were expecting to get very large profits fron toll increases, but in practice so far the actual tolls payable have been less than the "authorised" tolls. In our opinion it is the attention that the press give to this and the pressure of public opinion which has stopped Merseytravel from making even bigger profits at the expense of users of the Tunnels.

According to the 2004 Act formula the maximum toll for cars and light goods vehicles at April 2013 would be 176.8 pence rounded up to 180 pence. The current toll is of course 150 pence. The Merseytravel councillors can leave the toll as it is or increase it by 10 pence or 20 pence or 30 pence.
(Note that there are four "classes" of vehicles that pay up to four times as much at the car toll. There is a small price rebate for vehicles that are tagged.)

On Thursday 10th January 2013, Merseytravel's "Tunnels, Ferries and Visitor Economy" committee met to discuss increasing tolls. As expected they decided nothing and in theory left it to the 'officers' to recommend what to do at a meeting of the full authority on Thursday 7th February 2013. The report went to the 7th February meeting with a recommendation from the officers that all tolls should be increased. At th elast minute they decided that though cash tols would increase, the Fast Tag tolls would stay the same.

One factor that they took into account was the Government approved plan to build a new private bridge at Runcorn and to toll that and the existing bridge (which will be handed over to the private operator). The Government and the operator want tolls on the Mersey Tunnels to rise so that they can charge more to cross at Runcorn.

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What has been happening elsewhere over last 12 months

  • Other existing tolls.

    Over last 12 months -
    Where a crossing is tolled, it is usually deliberately difficult to increase tolls and the only crossing that has automatic annual toll increases is the Severn Crossing into Wales, where on the 1st January 2013, car tolls went from six pounds to six pounds 20.

    Three other tolls have increased in last 12 months, - 1st April 2012, Dunham bridge car tolls went from 30 pence to 36 pence (the Govenment added VAT); 7th October 2012, Dartford car toll went from one pound 50 to two pounds; 1st January 2013, Tyne tunnel car tolls went from one pound 40 to one pound 60.

    One toll has reduced - on 1st April 2012, the Humber from three pounds for a car to one pound 50.

    There are about 12 other river crossing tolls around Britain that have not changed in the last 12 months.

    There are nearly 100 crossings of tidal waters that are not tolled and probably about 100,000 non tidal crossings that are not tolled.

    The currently most expensive tolls are -
    1. The Severn Crossing has the highest tolls for cars - six pounds 20 (the return journey is not tolled).
    2. Following the changes in the last year, the second most expensive car toll is now the Dartford Crossing - two pounds (though locals only pay 20 pence and no one pays at night between 22.00 and 06.00).
    3. The third most expensive is the Tyne Tunnel, which has just gone up to one pounds 60 (like the Mersey Tunnels, the Tyne Tunnel is run by a transport authority and they have racked up the tolls in recent years to pay for a new privately built and operated tunnel with the private firm also taking over the old tunnel).
    4. The Mersey Tunnels are with the Humber bridge currently the joint 4th most expensive crossing.

  • Possible new tolls.

    Some Tories and in particular David Cameron and George Osbourne, together with the Lib Dems, are vey keen to squeeze more money out of drivers by the introduction of tolls on any new roads and by possibly selling off motorways and other roads to the banks who would then toll drivers. This idea has been floated off at various times, the most recent being in December - Daily Mail - "Osborne faces Cabinet revolt over road toll plans: Ministers fear it could be repeat of ‘pasty tax’ fiasco"   BBC - "Road pricing: More new roads could be funded by tolls" with lots of comments.

  • Tolls on the Runcorn bridge.

    The inaptly named 'Mersey Gateway' project which will create a toll barrier along the Mersey as far as Warrington has moved further ahead in the last year. It was announced at the end of November that Halton Council had received three 'bids' for the scheme.
    There has been a problem as despite the Bank of England printing vast amounts of money and giving it to the banks for nothing, the banks have been reluctant to put the money into this scheme. But the Government is so keen to make sure that the tolling - including that of the existing untolled Runcorn bridge - goes ahead that they are changing the law with a "Growth and Infrastructure Bill" currently going though Parliament, this will mean that the risk is taken by the taxpayers - Daily Post - "Mersey Gateway team seeks possible financial help from Government".
    Dominoes or the bridge game

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    What happened at the 10th Jan 2013 Merseytravel meeting

  • Following the process that Merseytravel first used in 2012, the issue of whether there is to be a tolls increase, first goes to the "Tunnels, Ferries and Visitor Economy Committee". Though they leave the decision to the annual budget meeting which this year will be on Thursday 7th Feb.

  • There were only two substantive itewms on the 10th Jan agenda. The first was about promoting the ferries and the 'attractions' at Seacombe. The second was the possible tolls increase which they spent 22 minutes on - "Tunnel Toll Setting Process" (pdf file). The report included the recommendation -
    "(c) request officers to produce a report for the Authority budget setting meeting scheduled for 7th February 2013 recommending the “Actual” level of tolls that customers should pay between 1st April 2013 and 31st March 2014..

  • An officer went through the report at length, and concluded by saying that the plan to build a new bridge at Runcorn and to toll that and the existing bridge depended on Tunnels tolls being at the 'authorised' (i.e. maximum possible) level.
    There were various comments from the councillors. A Labour councillor from Knowsley complained about councillors being 'pilloried' every year over the Tunnel tolls issue. He particularly complained about pictures showing all the councillors' faces appearing in the Daily Post when the last toll rise was agreed two years ago. Som e of the members mentioned the emails that they had been getting from users of the tunnels.

  • A Labour councillor from the Wirral did most of the talking. He referred to two main things. The first was that he seemed to be saying that the Tunnels should be taken over by the Government and said that this 'could boost economy'. He moved an amendment to add an extra recommendation -
    "(d) Request officers to question Government in relation to current thinking on the integration of the Mersey Tunnels into the national road network, in time for the ITA meeting on 7th February 2013, if possible.".
    Assuming that the councillors are aware of what we have said above about possible new tolls (inc the stories on the BBC and in the papers), then presumably they know that there is no chance of the Government helping at this time. So why didn't the Labour councillors ask for help when there was a Labour Government and before the bank bailout in 2008?
    The same Labour councillor - backed by others - also said that rises in public transport fares should be taken into account. In other words the train and bus fares have gone up, so the tolls should go up as well - despite the fact that public transport is subsidised while the tunnels have been a cash cow for Merseytravel.

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    What happened at the 7th February 2013 Merseytravel meeting

  • The meeting was attended by Dave and John from the MTUA, Chris Blakeley a Tory councillor from Moreton who actively opposes the tolls, three other members of the public and three reporters (from the Post, Globe and Juice radio).
    The chairman started the meeting by saying that the tolls report would be considered first because of the public presence. Merseytravel have very poor microphones and there were complaints from the public that they could not hear what some of the councillors and the officer presenting the tolls report were saying. Despite the difficulty, we have put together our version of what happened.

    There was a small discussion as to whether one of the councillors had made up his mind before the meeting. Rather strange as we assumed that most of them had been told in advance what they had to vote for.

    The chairman then spoke about the approach that had been made to the Goverment asking for "clarification via National Government in terms of their medium term strategy for the on-going operation and maintenance of the Mersey Tunnels, with specific reference to the option for the Tunnels to be brought into the national highway network for maintenance and operational purposes." Goodness knows whether any one in Government understood what this meant or even read it. Anyway, someone, possibly a faceless official, apparently gave the answer "there is no such thinking and we are not thinking of making any change This was greeted with the sound of silence, even without the aid of the dud mikes.

    An officer then quickly (and quietly) went through the tolls report. The section that was given the most emphasis was the need to put up tolls to help the plan to have tolls at Runcorn. The chairman then moved an amendment to the recommendations in the tolls report. Members of the public did not have sight of his amendment and it was not clear what the chairman meant, but the amendment was later said to be that the cash tolls would go up, but the Fast Tag tolls payable would stay as they are.

    There was then another digression while Labour asked the one Tory on the board whether any statements that he might make would be wearing his Tory hat or the one where he is in alliance with the only other non Labour member of the board - a Lib Dem - as "Merseytravel Alliance Signals Good Governance".

    A Labour member from the Wirral then spoke at some length. His speech was 99 per cent in support of Merseytravel and the tolls (though at the end of the meeting he voted against a rise). Another Labour member from the Wirral then spoke but we could not hear any of it. Then the third Wirral Labour member spoke in support of his two colleagues. The one Tory member then spoke blamimg Labour for the 2004 Act that was a "burden" and for leaving massive debts.

    A few non Wirral councillors spoke. A Labour councillor from Sefton said that tolls don't harm the Wirral, and cited the Wirral Waters scheme as evidence (though he did not volunteer to have tolls round Sefton).
    A Labour councillor from Knowsley seemed to say that he thought that the chairman's amendment was unclear (the chairman agreed).
    Then a Labour member from Knowsley spoke in favour of tolls increases and ended "each of us receive countless emails asking us not to put the tolls up. We are all sympathetic ... but as parents we have to do things we don't like, it's the way of the world"

    Two of the Wirral Labour members then spoke again, one of them seemed to say that he would vote for the tolls increase and also asked that if the amendment to freeze Fast Tag tolls was adopted what would the effect on the budget be. The chairman said that he did not know, and an officer then seemed to say that they could move money round.

    The chairman then summed up. He said that the 2004 Act was "not as flexible as suggested by some". (By "some" he presumably meant the MTUA.) He referred to "residual debt" - whatever he meant by that, and said that the Tunnels were "expensive" and then quickly added "cost effective". He said that the Tunnels were the "safest in the world" and ladled praise on the handling of a recent vehicle fire in the Tunnels. He admitted that the Tunnels made a surplus (though he did not say what the profit was - we reckon that even with Fast Tag tolls frozen they will be making nearly nine million pounds profit from the users of the Tunnels), and said that this was used for things like "a generous concessionary travel scheme, supporting ten per cent of bus services, and railways better than anywhere else in the country". (It seems that tolls are only spent on popular things, while all the money that Merseytravel waste apparently falls from the sky.)

    The one Tory (Les Rowlands from Heswall) then moved his amendment which would stop any tolls rise. He was supported by the one Lib Dem (John Dodd from Sefton) and the three Labour members from the Wirral (Ron Abbey, Steve Foulkes and John Salter). All the other Labour members voted against and the amendment was defeated. The chairman then moved his motion to increase the cash tolls (but not the Fast Tag tolls) and the five above voted against the increase with all the other members voting for it - so the cash tolls payable are to go up.

  • This is the report that was considered by Merseytravel members on 7th Feb (pdf)

    This is the draft Mersey Tunnels budget (pdf). Note that the draft Mersey Tunnels budget may look as if they don't make a profit, but they do!

    This is a link to Merseytravel website with all the documents for the meeting.

    Some of the press reports

  • Friday 12 April 2013 - Wirral Globe - "Merseytravel apologises for 10p trouble at tunnel toll booths".

  • Wednesday 10 April 2013 - Letter in Wirral News - "Why tunnels can be free!".

  • Thursday 4 April 2013 - Esther McVey's column in Wirral News - "Why I oppose tunnel toll increases".

  • Tuesday 2 April 2013 - Wirral Globe - "Campaigners protest tunnel tolls hike".

  • Friday 29 March 2013 - Liverpool Click - "Easter protests over Liverpool to Wirral tunnel tolls planned".

  • Thursday 28 March 2013 - Wirral Globe - "Tunnel toll campaigners set to stage protest".

  • Wednesday 27 March 2013 - The Wirral Globe published a letter from us - "Tolls rise is an Easter present from Merseytravel" -
    The Mersey Tunnels tolls are going up again on the 1st April - an Easter egg present from Merseytravel! A regular user without a tag will now be paying about £800 a year on top of all the taxes that they have to pay for the 'freedom' to use the road. The Tunnel Users Association believe that even before this latest increase, the Tunnel tolls were a drag on the economy, which particularly hits the Wirral. The tolls also divide people on the Wirral from families and friends on the 'other side' whether it be a bank holiday or not. If people just quietly accept this imposition by the authorities then no doubt they will be back for another pound of flesh in 12 months time to boost the profits that they make from Tunnels Users. On Easter Monday we will be having a protest at the Oakland Road bridge over the Mersey Tunnel approaches in Wallasey. We will be there from 10 AM till noon. So if you want to show Merseytravel and the politicians that you want an end to these 'toll taxes' then please come along and support us.
  • Friday 22 March 2013 Liverpool Echo - "Commuters reminded about Mersey tunnels toll increase".

  • Monday 18 March 2013 - UKIP protest over Tunnels tolls as part of national 'Scrap tolls' day - Liverpool Echo - "UKIP stage demo against tolls on Merseyside’s tunnels"   Wirral Globe - "Protest over 'highway robbery' tunnel tolls".

  • Wednesday 27 February 2013 - Letter in Wirral Globe - "Tunnel tolls: We have been let down by Merseytravel members".

  • Wednesday 13 February 2013 - Wirral News - "Wirral councillors’ bid to halt Mersey tunnel tolls increase fails".
    Today's Globe had the story which appeared on their website on 7th but with the headline "Merseytravel slammed as tunnel toll rises 10p". The Globe Mailbox also had this "Board 'going though motions'" letter from a "Wallasey taxi driver - REGARDING your report about the meeting to vote on the proposed toll increase. Merseytravel must be extremely confident as the £1.60 signs have been in place on the back of the current £1.50 ones for months. Why go through the motions and tell the public that it is to be discussed when the decision is already a foregone conclusion. More misery for the Mersey motorist." Not directly to do with the toll, but this story makes you think whether bus fares are higher because of the tolls dividing Wirral from the rest of Merseyside - Wirral Globe - "MP blasts bus travel costs as 'discrimination against Wirral people'".

  • Friday 8 February 2013 - Bay TV - "Tunnel users say toll increase will damage local economy"   Liverpool Echo - "Mersey tunnel toll rise goes ahead amid claims it is “economic madness”".

  • Thursday 7 February 2013 - BBC - "Mersey Tunnel car drivers' toll fees to rise by 10p"   Wirral News - "Mersey Tunnel tolls to rise by 10p from April 1"   Wirral Globe - "Mersey Tunnel tolls to increase"   Wirral Globe - "Euro MP launches 'scrap the tolls' campaign"   Wirral Globe - "Decision day for Mersey Tunnels tolls increase"   Daily Post - "No end in sight for Mersey Tunnel debts as repayments slowdown dramatically in two years time".

  • Wednesday 6 February 2013 - Liverpool Echo - "Mersey Tunnels debt repayments to slow down after 2015"   Wirral News - "Moves to increase Mersey tunnel tolls blasted by senior councillor".

    The Daily Post editorial on the 7th was headed "The inconvenient truth about Mersey tunnel toll increase." It said - "TODAY Merseytravel is poised to vote thnough a completely unnecessary 10p increase in tunnel tolls.
    This will deliver an extra £2.6m a yearin revenue, to add to the current annual surplus raised by the tunnels of more than £8m.

    Today we reveal that the current schedule for repaying the debt on the tunnels is designed to drag out the repayment process interminably. When you take out a repayment mortgage on your home, you pay back large amounts of interest and a tiny amount of capital each year at the outset, but by the final years, your repayments are rap idly eating into the capital until the debt is paid. Bizarrely the reverse is true in the case of the tunnels debt, In the final years, the capital debt will be reduced by just £500,000 a year. Accountants may have a neat explanation for all this, but clearly it is politically expedient to keep the tunnels in debt.
    That way you can continue to justify the existence of the tunnel tolls. If the annual surplus of more than £10m a year Merseytravel will now have at its disposal was ploughed into repaying the loan, the tunnels would be debt tree by the end of the decade.

    Unfortunately thanks to the Mersey Tunnels Act of 20O4, the only way such a debate can be held today is through journalistic investigation.
    Of the local MPs who expressed a view in the survey we conducted this week, most agree that this invidious Act should be repealed.
    The others need to think again. They are dismissing it as an issue that only affects Wirral voters, and thus not something they need concern themselves with.

    The reality of course is that the tunnel tolls, with their automatic, unnecessary, inflation-driven increases, are a burden for the whole economy of Liverpool city region.
    It discourages customers from travelling, and makes it more expensive for companies to move goods and staf freely around the area.

    And this is not, as some Labour MPs seem to assume, just a tax on the wealthy to help public transport.
    ... With the right political will, we could freeze the tolls today pay off the tunnels debt by 2020, and then massively reduce the tolls. But the time to grasp that nettle is now."
  • Tuesday 5 February 2013 - You Tube - "Merseytravel to increase 10p for cars using the tunnels".

  • Friday 1 February 2013 - BBC - "Mersey Tunnel tolls set to rise".

  • Thursday 31 January 2013 - Wirral News - "Moves to increase Mersey tunnel tolls blasted by senior councillor"   Wirral Globe - "Motorists braced for Mersey Tunnel toll rise"   Liverpool Echo - "Mersey Tunnel tolls to rise by 10p in April"   Daily Post - "Motorists to be hit by 10p rise in Mersey Tunnel tolls from April".

    The Daily Post editorial was also about the tolls. It was headed "A £2.6m reminder that it's time to repeal Tunnels Act." And said- "IT IS now virtually inevitable that Merseyside's economic recovery is set to be wounded by a 10p rise in tunnel tolls. Officers of Merseytravel are recommending the increase, and it is our understanding that it is almost certain to be approved by the authority next week.
    Thanks to the disgraceful 2004 Mersey Tunnels Act, increases in this, punitive tax on our city region’s motorists no longer need Parliamentary approval, and are permitted whenever increases in the retail price index trigger them.

    .... As our recent investigation clearly demonstrated, this revenue is not needed in order to staff and maintain the tunnels and repay the debts on building them....This spare cash must be very handy; particularly for an organisation housed in such an opulent building as their new headquarters at Mann Island. The overheads on that must he frightening. The extra 10p will raise another £2.6m a year - which will almost cover the annual rent on their waterfront home.

    Authority members will no doubt remind us that under the Act it is not just their right, but their duty, to impose increases in line with inflation. But the Act does allow the authority to consider whether the authorised tolls increases should he charged, taking into account the economic or social impact....

    For the good of our city regional economy we would urge the Authority to exercise restraint once again and not impose this increase.
    And surely it is also time for our local MPs to unite to vote out the Tunnels Act, removing this semi-automatic weapon and its potential to inflict major damage on our city regional economy."
    "IT is now virtually inevitable that Mersewyside's economy is set to be wounded by a 10p rise in Tunnel tolls."

  • Wednesday 16 January 2013 - Wirral News - "New bid to end Mersey tunnels toll burden".

  • Monday 14 January 2013 - Liverpool Echo editorial - "Time to map out Mersey tunnel tolls plan"   Liverpool Echo - "Merseytravel to request Government to axe Mersey Tunnel toll burden".

  • Thursday 10 January 2013 - Liverpool Daily Post - "Mersey Tunnels still owe £58m costs but tolls income used elsewhere".

    The Daily Post editorial on the 10th was also about the tolls. It was headed "Time is right to plan for the end of Mersey tunnel tolls." It said - "MERSEYTRAVEL is to be congratulated today for setting out the financial position facing the Mersey Tunnels so clearly. There has been great reticence from the authority in the past when we have asked to know the true situation regarding the debts faced by the tunnels, and how the tolls revenue raised by them is used. The approach of the current administration is, therefore, refreshing.

    When the Mersey Tunnels were built, our parents and grandparents were told that the tolls would exist only until the construction debt was paid off. After that, like all other major highways, the costs of running them would come from the public purse, through the Road Tax every motorist must pay.

    Those pledges were made long before the tunnels became the responsibility of Merseytravel. The tolls were never intended to subsidise other forms of transport, and increases in tolls have always been controversial.
    The Tunnels Act, which allows the tolls to be put up in line with the Retail Price Index without further public consultation or democratic process, was a shameful piece of legislation designed to crush legitimate debate about the economic impact of the tolls on our region.

    The fact is that the toll - on the only direct road link through the great river that divides our city region places an enormous burden on businesses and individuals who live and work here.

    Now we know that, despite less than determined efforts to reduce the debt on the tunnels in the past, it will be virtually paid off in 2026. A serious economic impact assessment of what removing, or massively reducing, tunnel tolls would do to our region would be telling.
    It is our belief that it would have massive benefits in terms of stimulating jobs and investment. This is not, by the way; a rich versus poor debate. Many motorists are not wealthy but use the tunnels because public transport does not provide adequate solutions at the times when they have to work.
    Why should they have to fund the buses that they cannot use, in addition to paying the costs of running their cars?

    Given the current financial situation, the tunnels clearly cannot be made free immediately, but now is the time to start planning for the possibility. Repealing the Tunnels Act would be a very good start."
  • Wednesday 9 January 2013 - Wirral News - "Tolls rise threat"   Wirral News - "Increase would be ‘economic madness’"   Bay TV - "Mersey Tunnel Tolls to increase?" video.

    The Globe on the 9th had a story on page 2 of the paper headed "Drivers brace themselves for 7% tunnel toll increase". The story is not on their website, but this is what they quoted from us -

    "MOTORISTS could be hit with an increase in Mersey tunnel tolls in April.... John McGoldrick, secretary of protest group Mersey Tunnel Users’ Association, said any increase would be unwarranted... There is no justification for increasing tunnel tolls and as time goes on it seems very likely that they could rise. Increases are bad news for motorists and businesses. Hopefully, when the board meets next month, it will recommend the toll stays at its current level.

    As the tolls currently stand, the Mersey crossing is the joint third most expensive, the only ones higher are the Severn and the Dartford crossing. At Dartford there is a discount for locals so that they pay 20p a crossing.

    When considering an increase, Merseytravel has to take into account the economic and social circumstances of Merseyside. Those circumstances are never good and Liverpool and Wirral have pockets with some of the greatest deprivation in England. Given the state of the whole country, Merseytravel would have to be mad to think that now is a reasonable time for them to extract even more money from the drivers and businesses that use the Tunnels."

  • Thursday 3 January 2013 - Liverpool Daily Post - "After two years of Mersey Tunnel toll freezes, can a 10p rise be averted?" 2 pages - Note that their headline is wrong, there has only been one year of freeze   Liverpool Echo - "Mersey Tunnel tolls could rise by 10p in April"   Liverpool Echo editorial - "Mersey Tunnels decision will take its toll"   Wirral Globe - "Motorists could face increase in Mersey Tunnel tolls".

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