No hope on tolls
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ESTUARINE toll charges should be more "businesslike", the Department of Transport told MPs last week.
DTp assistant secretary Laurie Moyle told the House of Commons transport committee — which is investigating Government tolls policy — that tolls across estuaries in Great Britain had a total debt of £500m. DTp figures show that the debt increased by around £35m in 1983/84.
Mr Moyle argued that despite criticisms that tolls' receipts did not cover tolled crossings' costs, it was up to the appropriate local authorities to match toll charges to their debt size, and account for inflation. He also said that continued traffic growth would also help pay off the debts on the toll crossings.
But tolled crossings also saved lorry drivers' time and money, DTp under-secretary Jim Coates told the MPs.
For lorries over 25 tonnes with four or more axles, 71p a mile is saved by taking the shorter route via a tolled crossing, while for those under 25 tonnes with two or three axles saved 52p per mile, the DTp claims.
For example, by crossing the Severn Bridge and avoiding the 80-mile trip along the A40, M50 and M5, vehicles over 25 tonnes with four or more axles saved £56.80. For those under 25 tonnes with two or three axles, the saving is £41.60, the DTp says.
For the 63-mile saving using the Humber Bridge, the savings are £44.73 and £32.76 respectively, and for the 46-mile saving on the Tay Bridge, £32.66 and £23.92 are saved respectively, the DTp argues.
Mr Coates also admitted that it was a "foregone conclusion" that over the next 15 years some new capacity is needed at the Dartford Tunnel, but the question is how and exactly when. He did not rule out the possibility of private funding for the increased capacity.