More calls to scrap tolls
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TOLI_S on estuarine crossings should be scrapped they are in a financial mess, and costly to industry and motorists, MPs were told last week.
The Freight Transport Association and the Royal Automobile Club, who were both presenting evidence to the House of Commons Transport Committee, argued that there is no prospect of reducing the constantly growing i514m roll debt. Local authorities DIU st borrow money just to repay the interest on old debts, they said.
FTA vice-chairman Fraser Men e i es argued that tolls were just another form of tax.
He said that the public and industry had already paid for the crossings' construction.
He said that had to be borrowed every 15 days to pay the interest charged, and that if the 5:514m debt was wiped out the only cost to the Government would be the yearly loss of around ._.30m toll revenue.
Dr Clifford Sharp, a transport economist, who headed a report compiled for the FTA, told MPs that if toll charges were raised to cope with the debt as the Department of Transport advocates drivers would he deterred from using the crossings.
The FTA also argued that the $..6bil that road users pay to the Treasury over and above their yearly track costs counteracted the Government's argument that the crossings bring exceptional benefits and should be paid for.