Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry tolls may rise as user numbers fall
TAMAR Bridge and Torpoint Ferry tolls could rise because of a fall in the number of people crossing the Tamar.
Traffic has dropped by five per cent in this financial year, and the bridge authority is monitoring the flow to see whether it shows a trend before deciding on any rise.
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The bridge is controlled by Plymouth and Cornwall councils jointly, but any toll increase has to be approved by the Secretary of State for Transport.
Cllr Martin Leaves, joint chairman of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry committee, said: "I think the five per cent fall in traffic could be due to the economy, or perhaps people being more environmentally friendly and not making so many trips.
"People might be making fewer trips to work, or they might be shopping locally instead of coming over the bridge into Plymouth.
"I also wonder whether more people are using the A30."
The ferry company has more than £2million in its reserves, but if traffic continues to be light that will fall to £381,000 by 2015/16.
Mr Leaves said the operation needed a £2million reserve in case of emergencies.
He said that a rise in the toll was unlikely to be needed before 2014/15 but the committee needed to prepare now because of the requirement of Government approval.
Regular users pay by an electronic tag and get a reduced rate. Changing this reduced rate does not require approval from the Secretary of State.
Councillors backed an amendment by Cllr Kevin Wigens, the Cabinet member for transport that any proposed increase should be brought back to Plymouth City Council for approval.
Officers have set up a series of workshops to further analyse income streams to support various options. The first of these is scheduled for this month. (February 2012) The aim of the review is to ensure that the cost of the bridge and ferry operation does not create a burden on the budgets of Plymouth and Cornwall councils.
The bridge operator is expecting staff costs to rise in the next financial years, and is budgeting for a potential pay award of two per cent.
There is also a need to recruit extra staff in the bridge control room.
Last year's major roadworks on the bridge and new work to lay studs in the surface have been factored into the costs, but three new projects are expected, starting this year.
Sewage treatment plants will be fitted on all three of the Torpoint ferries at an estimated cost of £165,000. Replacing bridge joints from next year will cost about £100,000; and a new ferry works vehicle will cost £60,000.
The money for these three projects will be borrowed from Cornwall Council.
Councillors unanimously approved the approved the proposals, without comment.
57 Comments
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by MPstink1
Saturday, February 04 2012, 8:19PM
“The overpaid jobsworth management,for years now....disgrace to themself.”
by GreenGOM
Saturday, February 04 2012, 8:00PM
“£1.50 is far too cheap.”
by MickBarb
Saturday, February 04 2012, 6:38PM
“Timplymouth quote-"Making it toll free wouldn't provide any benefit to the public at large. The only people it would serve are the Saltash-Plymouth commuters"-unquote
Yer wot mate? Surely it serves the whole counties of Devon and Cornwall, to say nothing of drivers and truckers from all over Britain who want to get into Cornwall and back.”
by Anotherbloke
Saturday, February 04 2012, 6:31PM
“Why not have an automated system that reads a tag in your vehicle, that tag then gets charged to your 'tag' account... not rocket science, like a toll crossing system. You could save in running cost, and then reduce the total fee per crossing, win for everyone.
If they hike the price they need to improve the service and run more efficiently.”
by TomEX39
Saturday, February 04 2012, 5:53PM
“Plymouthians can afford it with all their dole money.”
by Mlifeboat
Thursday, February 02 2012, 11:15PM
“PL1Plym
For the record I have absolutely no grudge with the bridge manager or staff. I am merely stating facts - based on, er, facts!
They do not need that amount of staff there if the tolls were removed and those that remain would not need such a high salary for doing very little, as they would in fact be maintenance and emergency response people.
Accepted there could well be job losses but tell me what's new especially in these parts?
The people there are hanging on to their decent salaries so there are no vacancies to get more staff in - they kind of know when they are on to a good thing.
The argument of raising tolls, whether the tolls should be removed and SW salaries will rumble on and on. No matter what we try and do to change anything will not make a scrap of difference no matter how much we huff and blow - although it often gets the point out of the system.
Mandy Lifeboat xx”
by Peter20113
Thursday, February 02 2012, 3:31PM
“@winzo
That is a very spurious remark. Well I await the day it costs £10.00 or £20.00 or even more”
by taxedtodeath2
Thursday, February 02 2012, 2:38PM
“Cut the tolls cut parking charges and give people an incentive to come to Plymouth.”
by winzo
Thursday, February 02 2012, 1:13PM
“by Peter20113
Thursday, February 02 2012, 8:30AM
."After spending £6.00 to use the Severn Bridge on Tuesday I look forward to spending an exorbitant 75 pence to cross the Tamar today"
.
love to see your view on the price difference when crossing the Tamar is nearly the same? if they get there way they will do in the next few yrs, only just gone up as it is.”
by timplymouth
Thursday, February 02 2012, 11:58AM
“The reason I mentioned the Dartford crossing was because of your original statement. "It always amazes me that while Londoners don't have to pay to use the many road bridges there those of us in most of the rest of England do."
Londoners use the Dartford crossing. Whether it's inside or outside "London" is irrelevant. If they want to drive in central london they have to pay through the nose. If they built a new thames crossing it would likely be a toll bridge too. I'd rather live in Saltash and pay the toll than live in London any day.
I don't have a problem with toll bridges being built where there would otherwise not be a bridge, as it is with the Tamar Bridge. Either use it or don't use it, no-one forces you.”