“There is, however, no provision under the Act which allows any other variation. This would require a change in the Act itself.”
Dave Loudon, the chairman of the Mersey Tunnels Users Association (MTUA), welcomed the decision to freeze the toll levels. He said: "This will save a regular user from having to hand over an extra £100 over the next 12 months.”
But the MTUA claimed there remained a “very big sting in the tail, as the report to members implied that the toll will almost certainly be increased in 2011”.
But Cllr Dowd said: “Claims we were considering a 20p rise are complete nonsense and the Colin Buchanan Report published this week makes quite clear the damage that would be caused if the Tunnels were ever toll-free.
“It would result in an estimated net loss of £80m of retail spending from the Wirral, and 600 retail jobs.”
