End Of New Year's Day Severn Bridges Toll Rise

[mikey4444]

Some good news to start the year off !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-42530557

Not before time.

[ToraToraTora]

So what time do you want us over for lunch mikey?

[mikey4444]

lol TTT !

[Old_Geezer]

No increase eh. I'm not keen that any part of our road system should attract additional charges. We pay enough each year for the roads anyway. It may be a desirable decision, but one needs to hear they've stopped charging at all.

[mikey4444]

OG.....not long to wait now ::::

"The tolls will be scrapped by the UK government before 31 December"

[youngmafbog]

Tolls should not be on any UK road. We pay enough in road taxes - Excise duty, fuel duty, VAT.

[mikey4444]

YMB....I agree, but the legislation that introduced this was enacted under the Tory administration, in 1988.

This section of the M4 was hived off to a private company and we have all been held to ransom ever since.

[webbo3]

Mikey
\\YMB....I agree, but the legislation that introduced this was enacted under the Tory administration, in 1988. //


And scraped under the tories.

[youngmafbog]

Yes Mickey. Unlike you I do not stick doggedly to a parties ideology come what may. If I think they are doing something wrong i will say it. It's how to progress and that is something Labour need to learn if they are to survive.

[mikey4444]

Webbo.....the Tories have scrapped nothing.

If you study the original legislation, you will see that the companies had a 30 year "concession" to raise money, unless the money could be raised in less time. That 30 years is up this year.

Later this year, the ownership of both bridges, will revert back to Highways England.

This charge has acted as a extra tax on entering Wales.....there is no charge in the other direction, and it has been grossly unfair since its inception.

Good riddance.

[youngmafbog]

Mickey, many toll bridges operate in that way, by collecting money only one way it saves money. The "return" trip is effectively included.

[mikey4444]

YMB....yes, I agree but I thought that we both further agreed that no part of our road network should involved Tolls.

By the way, Its my recollection that before the new bridge was built, Tolls ere collected in both directions....but I may be wrong in that.

[malagabob]

So the toll is to be scrapped? How are they going to raise the money for maintenance? More on everyone’s road fund?

[mikey4444]

Bob.........in exactly the same way that the Government collects all the other monies that it does from all motorists.

....from the Road Fund Tax, and the exorbitant taxes and charges that it levies on fuel.

Although I am not a fan of ant Tolls, if it were to go back to something reasonable, like 50p, I wouldn't really have too much of a problem, But £6:70 per car is extracting the urine.

[mushroom25]

//If you study the original legislation, you will see that the companies had a 30 year "concession" to raise money, unless the money could be raised in less time. That 30 years is up this year. //

the Severn Bridges Act 1992, section 5 provided for the secretary of state (or his agent) to levy tolls until the power to do so expires, 35 years after "the appointed day". that would be some years from now.
the bridges revert to public ownership when Severn River Crossings plc have paid the DfT the amount prescribed by the act; this will happen this year, but the debt has accumulated to the point where £88M will still be outstanding, and this still needs to be funded by tolls. this has required separate legislation, http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/1201/note/made which had the full backing of the Weslsh Assembly.

[Old_Geezer]

Doesn't make it right. The government should fund highways for the public using public money. To the best of my knowledge we don't have weird arrangements to fund the high street, or the A road, with legislation about it being paid off. Other parts of our infrastructure, such as bridges and tunnels, should be the same.