Gary Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 http://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/articles/18839/1/Mersey-Gateway-bridge-will-be-free---if-you-live-in-Halton/Page1.html Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 Considering that the 2 routes are classed as 'local roads' for the residents of Widnes and Runcorn, and that nowhere else in the country are residents charged for using their local roads it seems a fair decision. It will be interesting to see how long it lasts and if charges go up to all other users. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 Seems fair to me too but then again if Warrington will still get all the overspill and gridlock of traffic from the many others who don't want to pay the toll then maybe as way of an apology that we will hall have to put up with even more road chaos around here we should all get it free too... not that I ever go over the existing Runcorn bridge though.... but a lot of Warrington people might do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 Or we could always make our roads on the alternative routes toll roads for people not living in warrington. Charge the same price as the bridge and problem solved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 Good thinking Evils Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 How do they know which vehicles are from Halton? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 On the M6 toll road you can get a tag which is placed on the windscreen. The idea being that if you use the M6 toll road frequently you can drive straight through the toll booths as your tag will be scanned and the charge will be debited from a credit card that you set up along with your name, address, registration number etc. previously. I suppose a similar system would be set up and anyone living in Halton which would include Moore and parts of Daresbury would not be charged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 So they aren't going to have little men sat in booths collecting money then ?Infact how will it work as people will have to stop somewhere to pay as not everyone who uses it will have a little car tag linked to their credit card if that's how they will be doing it. I'll have to google now to try and find out or it will start to bug me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 Can just imagine somebody sat at the front of a very long queue trying to get through the barrier and a big sign flashing on and off. "Insufficient funds for this transaction" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 I have a tag for the Toll motorway; very good idea - especially when its busy.... however I fail to see how they can collect tolls and ease congestion.... just look at the Queen Elizabeth Bridge at the Dartford Crossing.... the queues are horrendous at peak times and if the same starts to happen at Runcorn, Warrington will be well and truly swamped. I am amazed that our local couyncillors aren't a bit more vocal when it comes to this thing.... the majority of them appear to have their heads in the sand hoping it won't happen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 I found it Both the new Mersey Gateway Bridge and the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge will be tolled when the new bridge opens in 2017. It will cost the same to cross either bridge. On 25th July 2014, UK Chancellor, George Osborne announced that UK Government will provide the additional funding which will ensure free* trips across Silver Jubilee Bridge and the new Mersey Gateway Crossing for all Halton residents. *.Residents of Halton will still need to register to use the bridges and there will be a small charge for this.............. ...........There will be no toll booths – both bridges will use an ‘open road tolling system’ where smart technology is used to keep traffic flowing along the route, capture vehicle details and ensure that all bridge users pay. The standard toll charge to cross either bridge will be £2 for a one-way trip in a car or a small van. Lots more about it and the charges/discounts ways of registering/being charged etc herehttp://www.merseygateway.co.uk/tolls/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grey_man Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 I have a tag for the Toll motorway; very good idea - especially when its busy.... however I fail to see how they can collect tolls and ease congestion.... just look at the Queen Elizabeth Bridge at the Dartford Crossing.... the queues are horrendous at peak times and if the same starts to happen at Runcorn, Warrington will be well and truly swamped. I am amazed that our local couyncillors aren't a bit more vocal when it comes to this thing.... the majority of them appear to have their heads in the sand hoping it won't happen! Isn't the issue partly that they are in thrall to their national parties and the criticism will begin depending on the colour of the administration in office when the consequences of the tolls are felt in Warrington? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 "The standard toll charge to cross either bridge will be £2 for a one-way trip in a car or a small van." So £1000 a year more just to get to and from work - that is the sort of money people change jobs for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 HGV drivers will pay more than 3x that amount, so God help Warrington town centre at rush hour. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 I'd imagine the larger companies of some HGV drivers work for will foot the bill for them Wolfie but as for the self employed ones or ones working for smaller companies then who knows. I can't see many residents/workers from just outside Halton paying £2 per crossing on a regular basis though and I certainly wouldn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianR Posted July 28, 2014 Report Share Posted July 28, 2014 Number plate recognition cameras will control this. Bill sent to registered keeper, pay within so many days, then fined then fine increases etc. Ill stop using it and go through warrington instead. Suspect many will to avoid paying it. Now what happens when Thelwall is out...... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grey_man Posted July 28, 2014 Report Share Posted July 28, 2014 I'd imagine the larger companies of some HGV drivers work for will foot the bill for them Wolfie but as for the self employed ones or ones working for smaller companies then who knows. I can't see many residents/workers from just outside Halton paying £2 per crossing on a regular basis though and I certainly wouldn't. You only have to travel along the M6 toll to see how few lorry drivers are prepared to pay, especially when their margins are so tight. There'll be a lot of extra freight traffic through Warrington because of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted July 28, 2014 Report Share Posted July 28, 2014 I've never been along a toll road hence my presumption that lorry companies would pay. If like you say they don't them Warrington's roads and us lot who live here are pretty much doomed then.Once the new Peels canal ports open there wont be as many lorries on the road though well that's what they keep telling us anyway.......... as if !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted July 28, 2014 Report Share Posted July 28, 2014 Number plate recognition cameras will control this. Bill sent to registered keeper, pay within so many days, then fined then fine increases etc. Yes it says on the link that they will "capture vehicle details and ensure that all bridge users pay"....... so does that mean that if my other half uses my car and goes over the toll road without telling me I will be liable for the payment. I must keep an eye on him in future Also what about all the foreign cars on the roads how will they send the bills to them as I'm sure they can drive over here for 6 months without having to register their car with the DVLA In fact if a lot of people aren't registered with a prepaid pass then surely it will cost more than £2 for the admin/post/processing etc to send out bills out to them. Am I thinking too deeply and simply looking for problems :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianR Posted July 28, 2014 Report Share Posted July 28, 2014 ANPR cameras will pick up the registered keeper only so they will have to pay unless they can indentify the user. So watch who u lend ur car to. if the vehicle isnt registered then it cant be billed. However other ANPR cameras should have already picked this up and the police will be swarming all over them to stop this nuisance.....or they will get away with it. (* delete as applicable) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted July 28, 2014 Report Share Posted July 28, 2014 Well for when the jams start to kick in for a small outlay you can set yourself up with a hot tray and some pies and sausages and sell them to the drivers who are waiting in the queues, ice creans and soft drinks in the warmer weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted July 28, 2014 Report Share Posted July 28, 2014 Now there's a thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 Dibbler does a good range of meat pies. They have three ranges. The "standard" that contains meat products (probably) The "gourmet" that contains named meat ( like fido or tiddles) The "gourmet superior that contains all meat (possibly pork, or beef or lamb. probably four legged anyway) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 We worked on a site in Tottenham for a few weeks earlier this year. Everyday 2 or three plain white Romanian registered articulated lorries would park up (in a no parking area) and the enforcement people would come along a slap a ticket on the screen... sometimes (if the lorry had been parked up for a few days, there would be 3 or 4 of these tickets. They stayed there until the driver took them off and put them in the bin on the footpath.... at least they were tidy, but they certainly weren't paying any fines!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 My point exactly Baz and the same will presumably happen with unpaid tolls on foreign vehicles.A council in Kent has recently told it's parking wardens not to issue tickets to foreign vehicles parked illegally as there is no point and the DVLA have responded as follows"A DVLA spokesman confirmed that there would be ‘no point’ in British councils contacting the government-run agency about foreign-registered cars - as it doesn’t hold any details about them. The spokesman said that, by law, foreign vehicles must be registered with the DVLA after being in the country for six months.If the owner of a car did not declare the vehicle being in Britain by then, it would be 'a matter for the police to enforce. 'The DVLA will only have a record of a foreign-registered car if the owner contacts us after six months" Full news story herehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2649821/Council-admits-telling-traffic-wardens-not-bother-putting-parking-tickets-foreign-cars-difficult-collect-fines.htmlSo all we need to do is to make or borrow some foreign number plates and we are free to pass or park (I'm joking as I know that's illegal) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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