Combined Authority shares proposed Mersey Tunnel tolls update for 2022/2023

• Proposed tolls to increase to tackle pandemic-related budget pressures, and increased costs

• Liverpool City Region residents to continue to benefit from discount

• Tolls to remain at equivalent of 2004 levels - significantly lower than levels allowed by law
  

While there will still be a discount for Liverpool City Region residents using the Fast Tag or T-Flow prepayment systems, the cost of a single crossing is set to rise by 20p for car drivers from April 1, if the proposals are approved at this month's Combined Authority meeting.

The rate change will mean that many motorists are still be paying a full £1.10 less than the maximum amount authorised by the Tunnels Act, and only same toll as Tunnels users in 2004 despite inflation since then being 76%.  

Under the changes, most tunnel users will continue to benefit from the discounted toll available to Liverpool City Region residents – with around 60,000 regular daily prepaid Fast Tag or T-Flow users taking advantage of the reductions.

The Mersey Tunnels are not part of the national road network and receive no government funding to support their operation and upkeep. The loans originally taken out to fund the tunnels will not be paid off until 2048, with this money not only relating to the building of the tunnels but also to their maintenance and improvement. The payments on these loans are also fixed, with penalties incurred for paying them off early.

Millions of pounds are spent each year on running and maintaining the Queensway and Kingsway tunnels, which are over 80 and 50 years old respectively. Their electricity costs total more than £1m a year.

The increase in tolls – which have been reduced or frozen for most users since 2017 - comes as the Combined Authority, like most local government organisations, continues to feel the financial impact of supporting local communities through the worst of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The change in toll fee will also help cover the shortfall in revenues faced due to a reduction in traffic compared to pre-pandemic levels. It will also enable the Combined Authority to continue to invest in supporting key public transport services for the benefit of the Liverpool City Region’s 1.6m residents.

The Liverpool City Region has set an ambitious target to achieve net zero by 2040 at the latest – a decade ahead of national targets - to tackle poor air quality locally and the global climate emergency. As part of this effort, the proposed changes include setting aside £500,000 to reduce tolls paid by buses - to support bus operators in cutting fares for cross-Mersey services and encourage people to choose public transport for cross-river journeys.