CAMPAIGN CALLS FOR NO BRIDGE TOLLS:
APETITION has been launched calling on residents to back a call for the Transport Secretary to scrap the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridge tolls.
Tim Mcfink said the road charges are being ‘forced’ on drivers and are already having a ‘massive effect’ on visitors, businesses and residents.
Writing on petition website change.org, he said the added financial pressure will be enough to put some firms out of business.
He said the tolls will divide Halton.
Mr Mcfink added that the charges will hit drivers in neighbouring areas such as Cronton, Warrington, Rainhill and St Helens who might live just outside the Halton border but will still have to pay £90 per car a month, warning that the total hit for families will run in to the ‘thousands’.
Traffic will also increase through Warrington, he said.
Mr Mcfink said that only householders in council tax band A-F properties will be able to register for free crossing and that those in bands G and H will be charged as though they are from out of area.
Writing on change.org, Mr Mcfink said: “We feel this is discriminating against people in these council tax bands and we feel everyone who pays council tax should at least be treated the same. “We don’t want job losses. “We don’t want tolls. “We don’t want a divided Mersey region.
“We believe initial commitments to fund the new Mersey Gateway Bridge as promised by George Osborne at national level should be honoured.
“With enough public pressure, we can rescue the situation.
“Let’s get 100,000 signatures and get them to answer us in Parliament.
“Please help to keep our Halton as one, and let’s join together to keep us united. “No more tolls.” At time of writing the petition had been signed 3,108 times.
Previous public calls for bridge tolls have had mixed success, but in 2014 more than 15,000 signatures were added to a petition during as multiple campaigns including one led by neighbourhood activist Conn O’Dwyer preceded a major announcement resulting in the landmark concessions for most Halton residents. ●