£4.5m cost of bridge toll booths under fire

A public inquiry into proposed toll rises which would mean crossing the Humber Bridge by car one way would cost £3, up from £2.70, concluded yesterday. Brigg and Goole MP Andrew Percy told the inquiry the rises would “hit struggling businesses especially hard”.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Percy said most residents would rather see the £4.5m spent on offsetting a toll rise “rather than putting in all-singing, all-dancing booths”.

Mr Percy also questioned why the board wasn’t dipping into its reserves, estimated at £2.2m. He added: “We have a very strange governance arrangement with a two-mile stretch of road which requires managing by more than 10 councillors and a staff of over 100.”

Richard Kendall, from the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, said the board had refused to produce its business case for the investment. He said: “This is an extraordinary amount for what is essentially a few cash registers. There is no evidence that it is essential to spend the full amount on equipment immediately, or that the board would lose income if it does not go for the “gold plated” option it proposes.

“What this means is that the Secretary of State could reject the application safe in the knowledge that the board’s financial position would remain stable and it could continue to meet its repayment obligations. The board could simply cancel the project and there’d be no need to hike council tax bills.”

There has also been criticism of the inquiry being held while a Treasury-led review of the bridge has still not published its report. Clerk to the board Darryl Stephenson said: “The board’s problem is that it has to deal with the financial situation now, not knowing when the review will be published and not knowing what its conclusions will be, which could vary from the status quo to writing the debt off.”