Renew free crossings now, local people told
THE number of fines being issued on the Mersey Gateway bridge has reached the highest level since the first month after the structure opened – but campaigners have reiterated that drivers who fight a penalty notice will probably win.
Figures from the latest Merseyflow customer dashboard showed the number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) being issued per quarter has increased, with fines now being issued at the rate of about 860,000 per year.
The percentage of drivers fined has also risen to the highest amount since November – the months immediately bridge’s opening.
During June, 4.6% of journeys resulted in a fine, up from 3.9% the month before and the lowest level of 3.1% in February.
Data also revealed that between January and March this year 191,000 fines were issued to drivers who did not pay the controversial £2 toll charge.
Over the next three months, between April and June, the figures jumped to 239,000 fines issued – an increase of almost 50,000 per quarter.
Despite this surge, Scrap Mersey Tolls (SMT) campaigners are urging motorists not to be scared to contest a PCN.
They cited figures published by DRIVERS from Halton have been urged to make sure they sign up for another year of free Mersey Gateway bridge crossings.
Merseylink said more than 99% of borough residents are eligible for the scheme, which costs £10 to register for unlimited journeys.
A Merseylink spokesman said around 33,000 motorists from Halton registered for the discount scheme last year.
They, along with anyone who has moved to the area, are urged to visit www.merseyflow.co.uk to reapply for another year – which will also apply to the Silver Jubilee Bridge when it reopens.
The scheme is open to Class 2 vehicles, namely small cars and vans.
Tolling operator Merseyflow said it is introducing a phased renewal campaign to help make the online re-registration process as simple as possible.
Drivers who registered before October last year should receive an email or a letter explaining what to do and by when.
Any Halton resident who registered before the bridge opened on October 14, 2017, can renew online at www.merseyflow.co.uk now following Merseyflow’s five-step guide: first scan or take photographs of the driver’s driving licence, current council tax bill and V5C vehicle registration certificate ready to upload; second, log onto the relevant Merseyflow account at www.merseyflow.co.uk and click ‘renew my plan’; third, pay the £10 annual fee; step four is to upload the documents; and finally receive an email confirming the payment has been received.
All renewals will take effect from October 14, 2018, so there is no cost incurred for renewing early. after the the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT) which revealed drivers have a strong track record of winning their appeals against the £20 fines.
Figures from the TPT show that between October 2017, when the Gateway opened, and May, 3,810 PCNs have been appealed to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.
Of those appeals, not one case found in favour of Halton Council – the bridge’s charging authority.
SMT said this suggests drivers who forgot to pay the toll online or did not know it was there have valid grounds to contest their fine.
Merseyflow has said it is analysing the PCN data to work out how it can reduce the number of fines issued. ●● Backlash brace: page 2
It is also possible for people to renew in person at Merseyflow’s walk-in centre in Runcorn if they do not have internet access.
Eligible Halton residents must provide three up-to-date documents to confirm they still qualify for the resident discount: a 2018-2019 Halton Borough Council tax bill showing their home is in property bands A-F, a full valid UK driving licence showing their Halton address, and their vehicle’s V5C certificate showing their name and Halton address.
The documents need to be up-to-date to be accepted – so Merseyflow is asking customers to check they provide the right documents.
Anthony Alicastro, Merseyflow managing director, said: “Our whole aim is to make this as simple and easy as possible.
“We’ve made some improvements to the Merseyflow website to simplify the process and we’re able to provide much more guidance for customers to help them through the process.
“We’ll be contacting all Halton residents who need to renew their plan over the next few weeks so all people need to do is follow the instructions to get another year of discounted trips.”
“There’s nothing to lose by renewing early.
“If you renew now your new 12-month plan will run from October 14, 2018, the one-year anniversary of the opening date of the bridge – not the date that you renew, so renewing now means you’ll beat the rush.”
Mike Bennett, Mersey Gateway Crossings Board managing director, said: “We want everyone who qualifies for discounted trips to make sure they re-apply in good time.”