Severn Crossing Tolls to be abolished

I remember when the Dartford Tunnel was built and the promise was once the tolls had paid for the bridge they would be abolished.

They have now sold the tunnels and bridge to a French company who now run it as a profit making venture. It will never be free .

I thought that tolls were charged to help pay for the bridges. Why else would there be a charge?

I have never had a problem with paying a toll for crossing a bridge. They are magnificent works of engineering and save motorists driving for miles to reach a destination which would incur extra costs.

Mind you, I see from Wikipedia that the Forth Road Bridge was paid for by 1993 yet the tolls weren't removed until 2008 I must've spent a fortune on that bridge

I am not sure if you could include Wales in 'the South' and this could help the Welsh economy enormously when it happens.

We went over the Humber bridge recently and it was £1.50 for a car - the Severn crossings are £6.70 for a car going up to £20 for a lorry.
The Severn River Crossing plc is French-owned too but I think the contract runs out next year.

Personally, I don't think there should be any tolls on bridges or tunnels - we pay enough in vehicle license fees and much of it is not spent on the roads.

Perhaps if someone had to pay £6.70 per day to get to work they may mind!
Or even to get to see the DGC.

Ps before any pedants pick me up I will write out 500 times:
Vehicle licence

Wales is not in the South of England

I was hoping you'd join us anniebach, from affluent South Wales!
I need some backup.

My youngest DD lives very close to the Severn Bridge and she and her husband cross the bridge regularly to and from work. So it should be good news for them?
Yes they should save money but..... they are trying to buy a bigger house and fear they will be out priced as their town becomes, in effect, a commuter suburb for Bristol. Also they worry about local roads becoming gridlocked (even more often than now) by the extra traffic.
It should be a good boost to the economy of South Wales, but needs careful planning for extra homes and new roads which will inevitably take years to materialise. What do other people in South Wales think?

It was said for a long time that the tolls would be abolished either this y ear or next when the bridge was paid for. I think the French company had financial input in the building costs.

They only recently upgraded the crossing booths so they would accept credit cards!

They only did that under pressure when that golf tournament was held at the Celtic Manor Welshwife!

South Wales is one of the poorest parts of the country, we need employment so we need companies to come here .

As for costs of houses, not high in Merthyr or the Rhondda

Tolls in Scotland were all abolished a few years ago,it does make a difference if you're crossing a bridge two or more times a day ,it all adds up over the year to a tidy sum ,and people who didn't use the bridge before because of the cost save time on the road every day by using it ..it also takes the pressure off the surrounding roads too.Its a win win inmy experience

Wales is definitely not in the south paddyann but maybe if you are in Scotland you think anything south of the border is south.
Scotland can presumably afford to abolish toll bridges, it would be nice to here, but with so many people using them, can't see it happening any time soon.

Scotland can presumably afford to abolish toll bridges

The toll on the Forth Road Bridge was 'sold' as contributing to the cost of building it. As the article I mentioned earlier said, building costs were paid off in 1993. Presumably in that case they can 'afford' it because there's nothing left to pay off.

paddy was not just talking about the Forth Bridge, but all toll bridges in Scotland.

by definition rosesarered anything SOUTH of the border IS south

antway I didn't mention or use the word SOUTH

No, you didn't paddyann ....apologies, I had meant to adress that to Cindersdad who perhaps lives in Scotland.

I may get more visitors when the toll is removed - best start planning a move!

That's how I read it too LaraGransnet!

Oh dear! For the record I live just outside Liverpool. The first Mersey Road Tunnel was opened in the 1930's, the second Tunnel in the 1970's. The first Runcorn bridge was opened around 1960 and free of tolls, the second is about to open. The first tunnel was supposed to be free when it was paid for, but charges were kept to pay for the second tunnel. Tolls are to be introduced on both Runcorn Bridges. The nearest "free" Mersey crossing is through a congested Warrington or along the M6.

I don't see it ever being toll free. Back in the 1950's it cost !/6 (7 and a half p) in the old tunnel and now the cost is £1.70 each way.

Perhaps all the Bridges across the Thames in London should have tolls! Imagine the furor!