"Severn Bridge Act is an ass" - German

3.37.50pm GMT Wed 8th Nov 2006

Commenting on the news that Severn Bridge tolls for cars will top £5 from January 2007, Welsh Liberal Democrat AM for South Wales East Mike German, said:

The Severn Bridge - the toll is expected to increase to £5.10 for cars in January

"The Severn Bridges Act is an ass. Every year it forces the tolls up regardless of need, or whether people's incomes have risen. The same act also stops us using credit cards to pay this ever rising tax on entering Wales.

"The toll charges are getting so high, that they can no longer be routinely settled with pocket change. The act must be altered to allow debit and credit card payment.

"It's also time we started a proper debate about the future of the bridges. The time is coming when the government has to decide what happens when the private company that operates the bridges hands them back. That could happen as soon as 2010, depending on traffic volume over the bridges.

"There needs to be a proper, informed debate now. We need to know whether the benefits of scrapping the tolls would offset the cost of maintaining the bridges. We need to know how the bridges will be maintained in the future. These are important questions, with major implications for Wales' business and tourism sectors as well as individuals travelling across the border."