‘Act now to make sure you get your discount’
THE Mersey Gateway tolls operator is urging thousands of Halton residents to renew their annual discount plans before they expire.
Merseyflow revealed that so far more than 7,000 Runcorn and Widnes drivers have renewed their passes which allows them to cross the bridge an unlimited number of times.
Halton residents pay an administration fee of £10 a year for as many journeys across the river in cars or small vans for personal use and more than 99% of residents in the borough – those in council tax brackets A to F – benefit from the scheme.
But more than 12,000 residents’ plans expire in October, and Merseyflow is issuing reminders to act now.
A Merseyflow spokesman said renewals peak next
Not everyone is in favour of toll booths, though.
David Livens said: “The purpose of the bridge was to reduce congestion and ease traffic flow so toll booths would be a step back, but there are other ways Merseyflow could make the system fairer.
“Increase the time to pay to 14 days, for example, or allow people to utilise their prepay account when using a different car.”
Jackie Lewis said: “Imagine the traffic jams with people stopping to pay.”
A spokesman for the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board said: “In the earliest stages of development of the Mersey Gateway project it had been anticipated that the bridge would be subject to the traditional method of payment at barriers located in tollbooth plazas.
“However increasingly that the it was recognised technology ● month – the second anniversary of the bridge opening – when the annual plans of 20,000 Halton residents will expire.
On top of this renewal peak, there are also a further 25,000 Halton residents whose plans expire throughout the year.
To avoid a rush, Merseyflow has decided to start the peak renewal period earlier and has directly contacted those whose accounts will expire involved in barrier free operation was developing and improving all the time and had been implemented effectively for a number of roads and bridges overseas.
“The decision to adopt barrier free operation for the Mersey Gateway Bridge was made in conjunction with the government and Department For Transport in early 2011.
“Although this would allow the project to benefit from infrastructure and operational savings, the main reason for its implementation was to allow bridge users to enjoy quicker and more reliable journeys which was one of the key drivers for the project by maximising the free flow nature of the crossing experience.
“The 97% compliance rate shows us that our customers agree and we continue to explore ways to improve on this figure.”
Cllr Ellen Cargill said she next month. Any Halton resident whose plan is due to expire before the end of October can renew online with a five-step guide.
All renewals will take effect from the expiry date of the existing pass, so no-one will lose out by renewing early.
It is also possible for people to renew in person at Merseyflow’s walk-in centre in Runcorn if residents do not have access to the internet. has never heard anything ‘so ridiculous’ as the claim that the system was designed to ‘catch people out’.
She said: “[This system] is the simplest, most easy way to pay the toll, and most people pay before they cross the bridge.
“For those who only cross occasionally there are enough signs to let people know they have to pay, online by midnight the next day.
“It’s unfortunate that we have a toll, the government should should have provided the funds for this Mersey crossing but they refused to do so.
“The old bridge was in a state of dilapidation, that is the reason why it has taken so long to reinstate it. We had no choice in Halton, it was a case of a new bridge with a toll to cover the cost, or no bridge at all.”
Cllr Stan Hill echoed her comments, saying: “I imagine the bulk of these negative comments are from people living outside of Halton.
“The signage is 20ft, you’d have to be blind not to see it – and then you shouldn’t be driving.
“The vast majority of Halton residents are happy with the system, because most are entitled to the local user discount.
“And I’d just like to take this opportunity to reiterate the fact that Halton [Council] does not make a penny from the tolls.”
Documents submitted as part of the renewal process need to be up to date to be accepted.
For the Halton discount scheme, these include a 2019/20 Halton Borough Council tax bill showing a home is in property bands A to F, a full valid UK driving licence showing a Halton address, and a vehicle’s V5C certificate showing a name and Halton address.