A MOVE to make the Mersey Tunnels completely free at night and to offer daytime discounts was thrown out by the region’s transport authority yesterday.

But Merseytravel agreed to freeze tolls at 2008 levels for the next 12 months to ease the financial burden on drivers during the recession.

The authority met yesterday to set its 2009/10 budget and fix the levy on drivers using the Wallasey and Birkenhead tunnels.

Cars will continue to pay £1.40, but the rate is likely to increase to £1.60 in April, 2010.

In a two-stage move, councillors voted to increase the tolls to £1.60 in line with inflation, but to temporarily discount the rate until March 31, 2010.

But before the ballot, a Wirral contingent asked the authority to consider scrapping the tolls between 6pm and 6am, and offer daytime discounts to drivers from Wirral and Liverpool.

Cllr Chris Blakeley, a Conservative from Wirral, proposed the amendment.

He said: “While I accept it’s right to discount, it’s just lighting the fuse of a ticking time-bomb.”

Fellow Tory, Cllr Ian Lewis, added: “If we hold a discount this year, it comes back to bite us next year or whenever we choose to lift the discount.”

Members were then told by finance director Jim Barclay if the scheme was adopted there would be little point collecting any tolls at all, since the majority of users would receive the local discount.