Minister warns scrapping tunnel tolls could impact Gateway finances
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AMINISTER has warned that scrapping tolls on the Mersey Tunnels could hit the finances of the Mersey Gateway bridge project in Halton. Jesse Norman, parliamentary under-secretary for transport, made the comments during a reply to Ellesmere Port MP Justin Madders.
Mr Madders, Labour, had asked what the cost to the taxpayer would be of quashing Mersey Tunnels tolls.
The minister said motorists pay £41m a year to cross using the Wirral-Liverpool route so that would be what taxpayers would have to pay to recoup the loss.
In answer to a separate written question from Mr Madders, Mr Norman said annual income predictions for tolls on the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee bridges vary but they are expected to make about £38,361,000 a year.
The Mersey Gateway project was forecast to cost £604m up front with the total bill including investor repayments over 30 years to reach £1.86bn
Mr Norman, Conservative, said: “The operation and funding of the Mersey Tunnels has always been a matter for the local authorities in the area.
“Following the creation of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in 2014, the ownership of the Mersey Tunnels, and the power to set tolls, rests with them. Any decision to scrap the tolls, which cover the cost of tunnel operations and fund other local transport priorities, would therefore be for the combined authority to take.
“We have been advised by Merseytravel, which operates the tunnels on behalf of the combined authority, that the tunnel tolls currently raise £41m per year so this would represent the cost to the local taxpayer if they were foregone.
“In addition, if the tunnel tolls were scrapped there might well be some leakage of traffic from the Mersey Gateway bridge, which is currently under construction and will be tolled, to the tunnels.
“If so, this would create an adverse impact on the finances of the bridge.” ●