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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Rebecca Koncienzcy

Mersey Tunnel tolls rise leaves people 'disgusted'

People say they are "disgusted" to hear the Mersey Tunnel tolls are set to rise.

The Liverpool City Region's Combined Authority (CA) revealed it is considering raising the cost of journeys through the Wallasey and Birkenhead Tunnels by 20p - news that has not been welcomed by ECHO readers.

Many said they couldn't understand why there was still a toll, one saying people in the region were being "battered financially".

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The recommendation, if approved, will see the tolls rise for the first time in five years.

This means a single trip through the tunnels in a regular car will rise in price from £1.80 to £2.

That same journey with the Liverpool City Region resident discount and a Fast Tag will rise from £1 to £1.20.

On our Wirral Facebook page, Kevin Taylor said: "Absolutely disgusting."

Vanessa Barry said: "Was literally saying the other day bet they bump it up to two quid soon."

Commenting on our website user HarryKellerman said: "Liverpool is virtually cut off from a lot of the rest of the country by toll roads - the two tunnels and both Runcorn bridges. Can't be very good for the local economy.

"My dad always used to tell me that when they built the first Mersey tunnel they said that the tolls were only temporary and it would pay for itself.

"What gets me is a new Firth of Forth bridge was opened in Scotland in 2017 and there's no tolls on that and never any talk about it.

"That tells you something about the much higher levels of public investment spent in Scotland as opposed to that in the North of England."

Another under the username 'eye' said: "Only thing not rising is my wages, everything else is going up though it seems."

Another user, "Skott" said: "Why are they still charging? I do not care about expenditure and wear, I care about the People of this Wonderful City and why we always get battered financially."

Tolls are used to help pay for the tunnels because they were built as a joint venture by local authorities in Merseyside they are not part of the national road network, which is paid for indirectly via road tax and general taxation.

There have been calls in the past for the Government to review this.

The tolls are also used to pay off the debt from the construction costs of both the Queensway and Kingsway, and to cover money borrowed for tunnel maintenance and improvements and operational losses.

The Tunnels Act 2004 was intended to ensure sufficient funds are generated through tunnel use to allow for their upkeep and improvement without borrowing. These are set to be paid off by 2048 and the payments on these loans are also fixed, with penalties incurred for paying them off early.

Money raised through the tolls is spent in four key areas; staffing (including tunnel police), maintenance, debt repayment and any surplus goes to transport projects in Merseyside.

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