OFF TOPIC: SEVERN BRIDGE TOLLS REDUCED FROM TODAY

The cost of the tolls on the Severn bridges falls from today
By Aled Blake

The reduction has been welcomed by businesses


Drivers entering Wales via the two Severn bridges will see a significant reduction in the cost of the tolls today.

Vehicle charges will now be exempt from VAT, reducing the overall charge for individual crossings from £6.70 to £5.60 for car drivers, from £13.40 to £11.20 for van operators and from £20 to £16.70 for Large Goods Vehicles.


The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has now called on the UK Government to provide certainty to the industry with a clear date for when the toll will be removed altogether.

Ian Gallagher, FTA policy manager for Wales and the South West, said: “Today marks a turning point for users of the bridges, although the reduction by the rate of VAT has little impact on the business community which, in many cases, can reclaim this cost.

“The intended removal of all charges on the bridges by the end of this year is a welcome boost to logistics businesses in both the South West and South Wales already facing serious financial pressures.

“With the uncertainty of Brexit looming, anything which can help to boost business revenues is great news to keep economies on both sides of the Severn estuary trading effectively.”

However, some said the tolls should be cut immediately.

"Wales has been subjected to highway robbery by tolling from when the first bridge opened in 1966," said Newport West MP Paul Flynn.

"We have been uniquely punished. This month we should be ending the tolls altogether - to continue them is a rip off."

And Carwyn Jones tweeted: "The #severnbridge tolls should be scrapped now, not at the end of the year."


Mr Gallagher of the FTA said that there needed to be confirmation of a date when the tolls would go.

“What’s required now is a commitment from Highways England to a date in 2018 when all charges will go, and for any business looking to invest along the M4 corridor, a guarantee that charges will not be reintroduced at some point in the future.”

Staff currently employed with Severn Crossing PLC have all been offered employment with Highways England.

Or if you have a disability badge its still fecking free...explain how that works, its not as if you have to walk across the fecking bridge.

I still believe it won't happen at end of year, some shite excuse will be used, bridge overheads or something etc, etc.

As a regular user of both bridges it’s a small crumb of comfort that they are reducing the tolls and a bigger one when they finally scrap them?
What makes my blood boil is that anybody with half a brain knows this government cash cow is and has severely restricted the south wales economy and has done so for years. But guess what is going to happen when they are scrapped? All the traffic will come streaming through and be tailed back at the Bryn Glass tunnels because the new motorway route has not been agreed? And why is that? Because we are paying a fortune in taxes to jobs worth’s who are deliberately prolonging the planning process for their own job creation! These people should be sacked straight away and thrown off the bridge and be replaced with someone who can deliver the Job

I am not sure what Warnock knows about road building but I am sure he would have a better idea than the half wits running the show at the moment

Should have been scrapped completely at the beginning of 2018.

Why the end of the year what are they doing with this year's tolls that they are collecting.

Good news

Should have been scrapped completely at the beginning of 2018.

Why the end of the year what are they doing with this year's tolls that they are collecting.

Its for remaining repairs that need financing

Should have been scrapped completely at the beginning of 2018.

Why the end of the year what are they doing with this year's tolls that they are collecting.

Its for remaining repairs that need financing

its been in private ownership, surely keeping the bridge in good condition was part of the deal..
taking the VAT off is a bit of a p155 take....why the hell was there VAT added in the first place.?

Should have been scrapped completely at the beginning of 2018.

Why the end of the year what are they doing with this year's tolls that they are collecting.

Its for remaining repairs that need financing

So what happens when the toll is free and the bridge needs repairs?

As soon as it reverted back to state ownership the toll should have been zero and all repairs to be funded like the rest of the road network repairs.... using the road tax and fuel tax budget that is given to transport.

For a year they are just doing what the private owners did and taking a profit over and above the repair bill. At least in private ownership they had the excuse that they were recouping the original cost even if this was covered years ago.

Should have been scrapped completely at the beginning of 2018.

Why the end of the year what are they doing with this year's tolls that they are collecting.

Its for remaining repairs that need financing

its been in private ownership, surely keeping the bridge in good condition was part of the deal..
taking the VAT off is a bit of a p155 take....why the hell was there VAT added in the first place.?

Yes deal for new bridge but not old one it's complicated certain repairs for bridges was not responsibility of ssc! As for vat as it was in private ownership vat was payable on tolls eu regulations I believe, but as of midnight it's in public ownership which doesn't carry vat so that's why it's been dropped , . Future basic sceduled repairs estimated at 15m per year but that doesn't include things like resurfacing or unforseen damage/repairs?