A DEMONSTRATION will be held outside the entrance to Birkenhead tunnel when a toll rise is introduced next month.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Mersey Tunnel Users Association (MTUA) held in Wirral last night.
The protest will take place on Sunday, April 6, when the cost for cars using the Mersey tunnels will increase by 10p to £1.40. Other classes of vehicles, such as small goods vehicles, face even steeper rises.
Merseytravel, the region’s transport authority, will also be pressed to introduce a discount scheme for tunnel users from Liverpool and Wirral, similar to that proposed for the Dartford Tunnel in Kent.
No representatives from Merseytravel were at the meeting, which took place in Greasby, and they declined to comment last night.
Around 50 people attended the meeting called by MTUA, when it was also agreed that another public meeting should be held before local elections in May, to which MPs and Wirral councillors who are members of Mersey- travel, would be invited.
MTUA has long been campaigning for tunnel tolls to be reduced or abolished.
Speakers called the tolls “a tax on Wirral” and attacked the way the decision to increase the cost of travell-ing through the tunnels was taken. Only six out of a total of 18 on the transport authority board voted for the 10p rise. Four voted against, while the others abstained.
MTUA spokesman Chris Johnson said after last night’s meeting: “This meeting shows the strength of opposi- tion to the tolls tax, especially on Wirra.
“What people must recognise is that the journey to Liverpool is now becoming an economic issue. Shoppers shy away from Liverpool because of the cost of tolls and parking. It is so much easier to opt for somewhere like Cheshire Oaks instead.
“Merseytravel has consistently ignored the views of tunnel users. They are only interested in them as a source of revenue through paying the tolls.”
Among those attending last night’s meeting was Clare Rees, who runs a small business called Peter’s Packaging, said: “This increase will hit me hard because I operate two vans, and the toll for them to use the tunnel will increase from £1.30 to £2.80 each way.”
It is the first rise in tolls since April, 2005, and will bring in an extra £3.6m for Merseytravel, to be used to help fund new offices for tunnels staff and harmonising pay.
About 28 million journeys are taken through the tunnels each year, the vast majority of which are by cars or class one vehicles.
Class two vehicles (small goods vehicles and small coaches) had received a 50% discount for the past three years, but will now pay the going rate plus an increase to £2.80.
Phil Fleming, a Wirral businessman who is also a member of Merseytravel’s advisory tunnels board, said the toll increase was in line with inflation.
He said: “It’s an unreal vision to expect that the tunnels will be free.” to use. They are already at the point of capacity.”
