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Fresh fight on bridge tolls
CAMPAIGNERS will be taking a peaceful protest to the most expensive river crossing in the country this weekend as part of a new effort to scrap tolls.
For years there have been attempts to cut tolls for motorists going over the Humber Bridge.
Residents on the south bank have repeatedly complained of the prohibitive costs of the tolls when they are travelling to hospitals on the other side of the bridge to visit relatives or undergo treatment.
Now a new group, Humber Action Against Tolls, is urging people to join them on the Humber Bridge on Saturday for the start of a series of protests aimed at highlighting the cost to patients and the detrimental impact of tolls on the local economy.
Jim Allcroft, chairman of one of the groups involved, the North LinKs Seniors Forum, said: "Our campaign is to get tolls removed in their entirety.
"Although MPs have been sympathetic, health trusts have been sympathetic, the answer is unless there is a change in the law it can't happen. We have now combined forces and over the last six months or so have been campaigning, getting in touch with organisations to get support for the campaign and to keep it at the forefront of people who make the decision."
He said the tolls were a drain on elderly people already juggling their finances. But, he added: "At the end of the day health must take a priority. We do know there are people who struggle to pay. Although there are concessions it is subject to means-testing."
The forum has now combined forces with the North Lincolnshire and Goole Cancer Patients Involvement Group, which have been campaigning for years on the issue. It also has the support of various organisations including the Road Haulage Association, the National Alliance Against Tolls, and the Association of British Drivers.
A spokesman for the ABD said: "The motorist is paying quite enough in taxes already. Bridges should be free of tolls.
"There's 40bn going into the Exchequer and about 8bn is being spent on roads and that's nothing like enough."
Present calculations suggest it will take at least another 25 years to pay off the bridge's debt but Mr Allcroft said he was concerned that large projects – such as the new scheme to put suicide barriers on the bridge – would extend it further.
Bridgemaster Peter Hill sympathised with the campaign but said the Humber Bridge Board had its hands tied.
He said: "The 22 councillors on the board would love to remove the debt for the benefit of the people. But they know that if that happened it wouldn't disappear – it would appear on everyone's council tax bill.
"The bridge board doesn't feel they have the right to effectively tell everyone in their constituencies that they have to pay."
The protest will start at 10am on the grass verge at the Barton end of the north-bound carriageway.
The estimated cost of the bridge was 28m when building began in 1972 but rose to 98m because of inflation and delays.
Loan charges brought the bridge debt up to 151m when it opened, a figure which grew because operating profits were not enough to cover the costs.
A deal was struck with the Government in 1998, under which a chunk of the debt was written off and a more favourable interest rate applied – meaning construction loans are expected to be paid off by 2032.
For more information contact Jenny Walton on 01652 688703 or Jim Allcroft on 01652 655905.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
