Severn Bridge Tolls | Will Tolls be Scrapped when Bridge is Paid for Three Times?

12.00.00am GMT Tue 1st Jan 2008

Bridge users have paid to build bridges three times over

Welsh motorists crossing the Severn Bridge have already paid for it twice over, AM Mike German has revealed ahead of the annual toll hike on January 1.

And Mr German, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, warned that taxpayers could pay for it a third time before tolls might finally be scrapped on the gateway to Wales.

Figures from the Assembly library show that the total cash collected on both Severn Bridges from 1996-2006 was a whopping £684m. The Second Severn Crossing cost just £300m to build when it was completed in 1996. Under the Severn Bridges Act, when the tolls reach £1bn in 1989 prices, the bridge reverts to public ownership.

South East Wales AM Mr German said: "Next week motorists and business people in Wales will see the cost of crossing the Severn Bridges rise once again. Yet we have already paid for the bridge to be build twice over.

"The Severn Bridge tolls are a barrier to Wales' prosperity and a real disincentive to people visiting Wales or setting up business opportunities. One of the best ways to close the prosperity gap between Wales and England would be to remove the financial barrier at the border.

"The more people travel over the bridge, and the higher the tolls rise, means that the day is coming when the bridge will revert to public ownership. The government could then decide to scrap the tolls and put the Welsh economy on an equal footing with its neighbours in and around Bristol. So far, they have failed to say whether they will or not."

Mr German also promised to keep up the pressure in the New Year for his campaign to allow payment by credit card.

"It's unbelievable in this day and age that you cannot pay by card to enter Wales.

From January 1 prices will be going up again. Prices have already gone beyond the point where it is reasonable to expect people to have enough money in their pocket to pay the charge. That's why I've been campaigning to allow credit card payment at the crossing.

"The e-petition and the Facebook campaign group have really taken off, and we'll be stepping up the campaign in the New Year."

Notes:

Tolls collected on both Severn Bridges since 1996.

1996 £47,154,568

1997 £51,112,112

1998 £55,240,910

1999 £59,831,779

2000 £60,995,760

2001 £66,513,803

2002 £70,544,522

2003 £64,412,838

2004 £66,371,474

2005 £69,499,056

2006 £72,008,062

Total revenue £683,684,884

Mike German's campaign links

http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/severnbridges

http://michaelgerman.org.uk/news/000460/severn_crossing_tolls__facebook_campaign_gathers_momentum.html