Severn Bridge tolls could be scrapped a month early

THE Severn crossing tolls could be scrapped a month earlier than originally thought, it is understood.

The exact timing of when tolls will be scrapped on the old Severn Bridge and the Second Severn Crossing is expected to be confirmed shortly.

Last year Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns announced that tolls on the bridges between Wales and England will be abolished by December 31, 2018.

However, he is expected to shortly confirm a precise date for the move, which could see them going possibly in late November or early December.

Mr Cairns is currently working with a number of UK government departments and Highways England to finalise matters.

The ongoing process has described as progressing well.

While the Wales Office said it couldn’t confirm when an announcement will be made, a possible platform could be Mr Cairns’ speech to the Conservative Party annual conference in Birmingham, which runs from September 30 until October 3.

However, if such an announcement was made at conference, it is unlikely that their abolition would be with been immediate effect.

Instead, notice could be served of tolls being removed in late November or early December, potentially coinciding with the date of the next Budget.

Although the date of Phillip Hammond’s Budget has not yet been confirmed by the UK Treasury, it is expected towards the end of November.

Some 25 million journeys are made across the two bridges annually.

Those using using them daily could save about £1,400 a year under the move.

However, it will take some time for all of the existing toll booths to be removed and for all lanes to become free-flowing.

There are also concerns that the removal of tolls could see a significant rise in traffic levels from Bristol across the bridges into South Wales, as more motorists look to take advantage of the abolition of the tolls.

The bridges are currently operated by Severn Crossing Plc, which will hand control over to Highways England.

Ahead of the scrapping of the tolls, they were cut for the first time at the start of this year, with the charge for private cars travelling into south Wales from England dropping to £5.60 from £6.70.