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TOLLS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - DAILY POST 12 MARCH 2005
On the 12th March, the Daily Post published various questions that had been put by their readers to Merseytravel, together with Merseytravel's answers. Here they are! We have added the MTUA view to what was published.
Q. How much public money was spent by Merseytravel on promoting the Mersey Tunnels Bill through Parliament (including legal fees)?

A. No public money was expended on tunnels tolls reforms but was financed from tunnels tolls revenue that had been put into our capital reserve. This is an entirely legitimate use of tolls revenue as the main purpose was to ensure the long-term finacial footing of the Mersey Tunnels, which is now the case.

MTUA. It appears that Merseytravel don't regard Tolls as public money!
Whatever the amount that they have not told us, it is bizarre that the legislation which made it easier to increase Tolls and generate money for Merseytravel has been paid for by the people who will be hit. This is like asking the person who is about to be shot to pay for the bullet.



Q. What is the difference between the Mersey Tunnels and the Bridge over to Skye?

A. The obvious answer is that one is a tunnel and the other is a bridge. They both cost lots of money to build and maintain and yet we hear the Scottish bridge has now been made free whilst we are facing ongoing increases. All such decisions are a combination of political and financial issues. It was a matter for the Scottish Executive to decide what they wanted to do with the Skye Bridge and presumably they decided to meet the cost of the construction. The key point is that there are no significant running costs of a bridge compared with old tunnels.

MTUA. Whether a bridge costs more than a tunnel to maintain depends on the circumstances. The Thelwall viaduct has just had £45 million spent on repairs. They want a toll increase on the Forth bridge and say it is needed to pay for over £100 million of schemes, including £65 million on "Suspended Span Painting".
Though the Tunnels have been spending a lot of money, it is not all on maintenance. The biggest recent item has been the rescue chambers under the Birkenhead Tunnel. We do not know if these are essential, but assuming that they are, it is very exceptional expenditure.
Why should Mersey Tunnel Users have to pay for maintenance when users of the Conwy tunnel (and the Clyde tunnel at Glasgow, and the Blackwall and Rotherhithe tunnels under the Thames) don't do so? Two of these tunnels are older than the Mersey ones- the Blackwall tunnel was opened in 1897 and the Rotherhithe tunnel in 1908.



Q. What will the extra 10p of the toll increase be used for?

A. It should be borne in mind that this extra 10p is the first toll rise since 1999 and accordingly, it has been used to ensure that our revenues not only cover costs, which have also been rising, but allow us to put money aside for repairs and maintenance. The Tunnels are 70 and 30 years old respectively and with any ageing complex structures need increasing maintenance.

MTUA. The Toll increase is NOT needed for the Tunnels. Merseytravel are making a surplus on the Tunnels.


Q. Why haven't Merseytravel and Councillor Dowd, in particular, made a proper effort to lobby the Government to remove the tolls? Surely precedence has been set with the removal of the tolls from the Isle of Skye Bridge?

A. Not only have I personally been involved in lobbying efforts but many Merseyside MPs of all political persuasion have for many years been involved in lobbying central Government to take away the debt charges. Time and time again our arguments have not found favour. The tolls, I am afraid, are a reality. We had to be realistic and accept that no government would ever write off the size of the remaining debt.
Much is made of the Isle of Skye, but I suspect that the reason why the Scottich Executive took the decision to remove the tolls was because of the unique geographical location of the Isle of Skye, where the road was the only fixed link between Skye and the Scottish mainland.


MTUA. Every geographical location is "unique". The Wirral is surrounded by water on 3 sides, so it is almost an island!
People might get the impression that Merseytravel have been lobbying the present Government. But this is NOT what they told the Lords Committee. They were asked when they had last asked for Government help. Merseytravel answered 1992.



Q. With the increased revenue generated by the tunnel tolls, how does Mr Dowd propose to spend the money to improve public transport?

A. This will be a political decsion by the PTA and the surplus money will go into the public transport network. In particular , we are now working up detailed proposals to extend a Merseyrail Electrics network from Bidston through Woodchurch, Heswall and Neston down to Wrexham.

MTUA. Merseytravel appear to be agreeing that they will be taking Tolls money.
They mention the barely used railway line down to Wrexham. Merseytravel spending on Mersey Rail is nearly all paid for from grants and fares. And money taken from the Tolls will go into a big pot, and not be linked to any particular scheme.



Q. Merseytravel have a monopoly on crossing the Mersey. Don't you think it would be better to have different companies running each crossing to allow healthy competition?

A. This is simply not possible. The two Mersey Tunnels are a single entity in terms of cost and operation and cannot be separated. It is fair to say, certainly, that the bus and train operators that travel between Liverpool and Wirral recognise that if they want to attract and maintain patronage they need to provide a good service.

MTUA. It would of course be possible to split them. The Birkenhead tunnel was operating for over 30 years before the Wallasey ones were built and they are not physically connected.
But the real point is that the only other ways of crossing the river (trains and ferries) are both controlled by Merseytravel. And they have not justified this.



Q. I cannot understand how there is still a debt owing on the tunnels considering all the money that has been received in tolls over the years. If this is the case, surely Merseytravel cannot justify using toll money for other transport projects, as has been reported, until the debt has been repaid.

A. The debts are a fact of life. Merseytravel inherited them in 1986 and they went up significantly becuase of interest payments. The five didtrict councils had to contribute £28m in 1988/1992.

MTUA. The debt on the Mersey Tunnels is mainly due to the losses in the 1970s and 1980s. They should have been covered by tolls increases or contributions from the local authorities. They did have toll increases, but till October 1988, the local authorities did not make any contributions. Instead the losses were added to the Tunnels debt, thus increasing the losses.
Adding the losses to the debts stopped in October 1988 and the ratepayers and local authorities met the losses from then till March 1992. But what Merseytravel did not say in their answer is that they have since been getting this money back at 9% interest.
The real point, which Merseytravel have not answered, is why if there is all this debt, Merseytravel are going to spend some of the Tolls elsewhere.



Q. Where does the money go because the tunnel is in very poor condition and shows no sign of significant reinvestment?

A. We have spent considerable sums on various improvements and on repairs and renewals, and we anticipate between 20003/04 and 2006/07 we will have spent very nearly £10m on installing escape passageways.

MTUA. There is little to show for the money that has been spent. We don't know if the tolls spent on escape passageways and rescue bunkers is value for money.


Q. Why can people drive over the Runcorn Bridge from Cheshire and not have to pay whilst those living in the Wirral travelling to Liverpool on a major trunk route have to fork out for every journey?

A. Decisions are taken at the time of construction about how construction costs could be financed and in 1961 when the Runcorn Bridge was opened decisions were taken by the relevant authorities that it would be free.

MTUA. The Government wanted the Birkenhead tunnel to be free, but it was agreed that tolls could be collected for a maximum of 40 years. When the Wallasey tunnel was built, the period was extended, but it was still intended to be free eventually. Unfortunately they have since moved the goalposts and the Tunnels will never be free unless politicians can be persuaded.
The Runcorn bridge was funded by a 75% Ministry of Transport grant with the remaining 25% being met mainly by Cheshire & Lancashire County Councils.



Q. Are there any plans to make the FastTag more widely usable, e.g. for multi-storey car parks or (eventually) the Runcorn Bridge?

A. This is a really very good point and Merseytravel is very keen to develop new forms of ticketing technology - both public transport and the Mersey Tunnels - and I will certainty ensure that my officers start looking at this very sensible suggestion.

MTUA. There appears to be one Tunnel user who pleases Merseytravel. Perhaps not surprising if he is looking foward to having to pay tolls on the Runcorn bridge!

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