Government has no plans to review toll
THE Government has confirmed it has no plans to review tolls on the Mersey Gateway Bridge amid fresh concerns about the charges being a ‘kick in the teeth’ for motorists.
Former Chancellor George Osborne pledged drivers in Warrington and Cheshire West and Chester would have tolls on the crossing waived ahead of the 2015 General Election.
But many of the town’s motorists have faced a £1,080 yearly bill to cross the site following a Government U-turn.
Ministers have subsequently been urged, repeatedly, to scrap the tolls.
As reported in April last year, the Government again rejected pleas to scrap Mersey Gateway Bridge tolls for key workers.
At the time, Labour-run Halton
Borough Council said it believed scrapping them was ‘the right thing to do’ to support NHS staff, carers and other key workers.
It urged the Government to reconsider its decision not to waive tolls on the bridge that links Runcorn and Widnes.
The Government told the council it was ‘not minded’ to do so immediately but vowed to keep the matter under review.
And it is a matter which Labour-run Warrington Borough
Council is not giving up on.
This week, a spokesman said: “As a council, we have always been in favour of tolls being removed for Warrington’s residents - something promised by George Osborne back in 2015.
“This position is very much maintained and we have certainly not given up on this.
“We will continue to take every opportunity to raise this matter with Government.”
Labour Warrington North MP
Charlotte Nichols wants to see the tolls removed. She said: “With bills and energy costs rising and the Government putting up taxes on the poorest paid - as well as slashing universal credit payments - thousands of local people are feeling increasingly squeezed.
“Not scrapping Mersey Gateway Bridge tolls for everyone, let alone key workers, is another broken promise by the Government and another kick in the teeth for people in Warrington struggling to get by.”
The Mersey Gateway toll provides income to Halton Borough Council to allow it to repay the cost of building the crossing, as well as its maintenance and upkeep.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “There are no plans to review the tolls but we continue to engage with Halton Borough Council which runs the Mersey Gateway.”