Humber Bridge board seeks ‘unfettered’ power to set tolls

Following the Government’s decision to write off £150m of the bridge’s debt, tolls for motorists were cut to £1.50 from April 1.

The Bridge Board will now promote a Private Bill to change the way it operates – and has told the Government it wants the power to set tolls, without the need for a public inquiry or Ministerial approval.

It also wants to pay directors on the new board, which will consist of the leaders of the four authorities and two representatives from the private sector.

The changes were revealed in a response to a freedom of information request made by Hull businessman Malcolm Scott, who put in one of the bids to buy the bridge debt.

Mr Scott said he was concerned that in future the only way people could express their disapproval about increases in tolls would be via the ballot box.

He said: “In future there won’t be a battle over tolls other than at the ballet box every four years.

“It will be the tolls go up – full stop.”

However, leader of East Riding Council, Steve Parnaby, said he wasn’t prepared for East Riding taxpayers to have to pick up the tab if the number of people using the bridge didn’t go up as much as expected.

Coun Parnaby said: “The Bridge Board does need that flexibility.

“The traffic numbers it has to increase by is 36 per cent over the next four years and my view is it’s not going to happen and that’s the warning I gave.

“(The bridge) has never been a major issue for us in the East Riding and I am not going to sit here and have the deficit passed on to East Riding taxpayers.

“If traffic levels don’t increase, tolls will have to go up to reflect that.”

However, he said he wouldn’t support payments to new directors, adding: “There’s no justification for it at all.”