toilmen call For more cash
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:ONSORTIUM of four maorganisations operating tic tolled bridges and tun: will present a case for rernment assistance to the nsport Minister next week. ransport Minister William lgers will meet a deputai of consortium represenves from Merseyside and le and Wear County Coun, Dartford Tunnel Joint nmittee, acting on behalf of it and Essex County Coun, and Humber Bridge rd.
ormed in November 1977, consortium is camg for a change in the sent "inconsistent" reriment policy, under ch only a minority of estu d crossings are tolled. :nb r authorities all face ncial difficulties with their ssin gs, caused mainly by ation, high interest rates poor traffic flows. Economic circumstances have changed since the passing of legislation authorising the financing and construction of bridges and tunnels controlled by the consortium. Members recognise their obligations under that legisla-. tion, but believe the Government should in turn recognise the importance of tolled estuarial crossings in the national road network and review its "user must pay" policy.
If the Government accepts the logic of the consortium case, then subsequent assistance could take the form of interest relief on the initial Government loans made to allow construction to go ahead.
The consortium maintains that having tolled estuarial crossings is aliento the methods used to finance 99 per cent of public roads in this country. Government policy requiring tolls to be levied was highly inconsistent in relation to major estuarial crossings and appeared to be opportunist in that it applied where there was a "captive" travelling public.
Operational savings and toll increases had failed to solve the financial problems of consortium members which stemmed from repayment of expensive construction costs rather than operational losses.
Government policy had been that the financial problems must be solved solely by toll increases. Heavy toll increases sufficient to "balance the books". would be counterproductive as users sought to avoid the tolled crossings.
The consortium believed that only realistic solution was for some form of Government assistance to complement the tolls levied.