No bridge toll rise despite budget warning

COUNCILLORS have opted against increasing tolls and cutting discounts on the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry amid warnings they are facing a £7 million black hole.

There had been calls for tolls on the crossings to increase by 30% and for the amount of discount given to motorists who use the tag system to drop from 50% to 35%.

However at a meeting of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee councillors decided against any changes to tolls and instead called for consultants to draw up a full business case for the operation, to look at alternative forms of income and for the Government to be asked to consider allowing tolls to increase in line with inflation and the Retail Price Index.

Although no increases in tolls have been recommended by the committee they could still be required depending on the findings of the new report which will be delivered in December.

The committee – which is made up of councillors from Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council jointly responsible for the bridge and ferry – was warned by officers that current forecasts showed that the bridge and ferry’s reserves could be wiped out by the end of 2022/23 and would be minus £7.7m by the end of 2024/25.

Officers said that the only way to tackle the shortfall would be to raise income and they recommended a combination of reducing discounts and increasing tolls. Councillors heard that the 50% discount given to motorists using the tag system was the most generous of any toll crossing in the country. They also heard that there was still a drop in current income due to a reduction in ferry and bridge traffic as a result of the pandemic. Officers said they had not seen any visible benefit as a result of the increase of people holidaying in the region.