Mersey tunnel tolls held for another year

TUNNEL tolls will stay at the same levels after Merseytravel agreed to continue the freeze for another year.

However, a bid by the three Conservative councillors to reduce them further was voted down when the ruling transport authority met yesterday.

Wirral councillor Chris Blakeley had put forward two motions, first calling for a 10p reduction for car drivers and then for a reduction on “Fast Tags”, but the Tories were outvoted by the Labour and Lib-Dems.

Cllr Blakeley admitted their proposals could have fallen foul of the Tunnels Act which allows Merseytravel to increase tolls in line with inflation, but said it “shows just how bad the Tunnels Act is, taking away power from locally elected members”.

Under the Act Merseytravel could increase tolls to £1.60 for cars but members voted to freeze them at the current levels, which for cars remains at £1.40.

Dave Loudon, the chairman of the Mersey Tunnels Users Association (MTUA), said: "This will save a regular user from having to hand over an extra £100 over the next 12 months.”

But the MTUA claimed there remained a “very big sting in the tail, as the report to members implied that the toll will almost certainly be increased in 2011”.

The MTUA urged everyone to lobby their councillors over this issue.