Motorists fume as bridge tolls are closed

MOTORISTS are fuming after staff sickness forced the tolls on the original Severn Bridge to be closed on Saturday.

On a busy weekend in the summer holidays the bridge was closed westbound for several hours and traffic diverted to the Prince of Wales Bridge (formerly known as the Second Severn Crossing), causing long tailbacks.

Now, motorists, including outspoken broadcaster Jeremy Vine, are asking why it couldn’t just have been left open and free to use.

The Highways Agency said it made the decision to close the tolls to protect the safety of staff and drivers.

A spokeswoman said: “This was an unprecedented level of staff sickness.

“If we haven’t got staff members in crucial roles on the toll plaza it is not safe for our team or the drivers, so we took the decision to close the tolls.”

The M48, which is used by around 17,000 cars a day, eventually re-opened at 2pm, but motorists were not happy.

Both bridges charge a toll of £5.60 for standard vehicles, but many are questioning why it couldn’t have been left open for the morning.

Another said: “I thought that. Closed = no income. Open, with no toll = no income BUT happy drivers. Explain – I bet there’s a Health & Safety person in hi-viz looking worried and muttering ‘risk assessment’.”

Commenting on Wales Online, DdraigGoch said: “If they can’t staff the booths they should forfeit the tolls rather than penalising innocent motorists. This is scandalous!”

And Stevenboyd added: “Absolutely. They sent Chepstowbound motorists on a 14-mile detour, adding the cost of half a gallon of fuel to the toll. So much for ‘pollution and green issues’.”

The tolls were reduced at the start of the year and are due to be scrapped completely by New Year’s Eve 2018.

The UK Government announced the plans at the end of last year, saying it would boost the Welsh economy by an estimated £100m a year, as well as saving motorists thousands of pounds to cross into the country.