Once again the Severn Bridge tolls, which are the highest in the UK, are set to rise again on 1st January 2010, upon receipt of an order from the Secretary of State, in line with the Severn Bridges Act 1992. It is worth noting that there is provision in the Act for the Secretary of State to amend the tolls, which would at least be a start in helping reduce the costs that road users in Wales are currently facing.
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The Severn Bridge crossing tolls will rise on January 1st 2010, the new tolls will be:
Cars and Motor Caravans: Currently £5.40 will rise to £5.50
Small Goods Vehicles and Small Buses: Currently £10.90 will stay at £10.90
Heavy Goods Vehicles and Buses: currently £16.30 will rise to £16.40
Source Severn River Crossing Plc Website: http://www.severnbridge.co.uk/TollPrices2010.pdf
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By way of comparison across the bridge so to speak, it is worth noting that in October, Sadiq Khan, the Minister of Transport, announced a grant of £6m to the Humber Bridge company, saying that, “the Government was committed to doing everything it can to protect communities and businesses from economic downturn and help the country to recover. That is why I decided not to accept the Humber Bridge board’s proposed toll increases” if that’s the case in England, then why not in Wales?
Looking beyond the immediate and irritating problem of the tolls, as has been pointed out elsewhere, there is another issue that is worth thinking about – what’s going to happen in 2014, which is not that far away, when it has been estimated that the PFI contract will have been covered by toll receipts. Who actually is going to own the bridge (or bridges) and will they stop collecting the tolls? If not then the bridge (or bridges) sit on the border - but the toll on the newer bridge is collected in Wales, so will the bridge and the tolls simply revert back to the Department of transport?
Or if it comes to the National Assembly, by default, then if the current tolls were halved then, what could be accomplished by using a percentage to cover maintenance of the bridge and using the remainder of the toll for ring fenced capital projects – such as new integrated transport systems, reopening railway lines, funding tram systems and investing in rail freight – which would be far more beneficial for all of us in Wales than the finance disappearing into the Westminster coffers or to bail out the bankers?
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