Humber Bridge-tolls rise 'bad for business'

Business leaders are to oppose a "damaging" rise in tolls on the country's most expensive river crossing.

Another 30p could be added to the cost of driving over the Humber Bridge, bringing it to 6 for crossing both ways.

Yesterday, the Government announced it was ordering a public inquiry into the proposals, because of the likelihood of objections.

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Richard Kendall, policy executive at the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, said: "Increasing the tolls at any time would be bad news for the economy, but an increase now when we are not far into a tentative recovery would be very damaging.

"The evidence on the tolls is very clear – they are holding back our economy by restricting the movement of people and goods.

"Without them the Humber would be more competitive and there would be more opportunities for the people and businesses here. The Chamber formally opposed the last application for a toll increase and will do so again."

One of the biggest impacts of the tolls is on patients travelling from north Lincolnshire to hospitals in and near Hull for cancer and heart treatment.

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Lorraine McDonald, of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "It is very disappointing to hear that Humber Bridge tolls will increase. This will have a significant impact when people are already coping with a reduced income caused by their cancer."

The last Government made a historic decision in 2009 not to freeze tolls.

But Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart warned that making a case to reduce or get rid of tolls altogether would be "difficult" and "challenging" given the state of the country's finances.

"Cynics would say the last Government gave a temporary reprieve simply because of the General Election," he said.

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"The new Government has the task not of winning elections but turning round the Government's terrible finances which will make it a much harder case to make in the current climate."

The charges were due to be introduced from next spring but it is

thought an inquiry could delay their introduction by another nine months.

The Humber Bridge says the rises are needed to cover maintenance and the bridge's 330m debt.

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Chairman of the Humber Bridge Board, Coun David Gemmell, said "It is necessary to increase the tolls to these levels to enable the Board to continue to maintain the bridge structure and repay the debt owing to the Government.

"This is only an inflationary increase and the tolls have not increased since 2006."

There have been numerous calls for tolls to be scrapped. Research by consultants on behalf of the four Humber local authorities in 2008 found that the local economy would benefit by 1.1bn by 2032 if the tolls were abolished.

A public inquiry last March would have seen car drivers having to pay 2.90 for a single crossing, an increase of 20p.

But after pressure from businesses, local authorities and MPs, the Department of Transport decided against the rise.

The Government then stepped in with 6m to plug the funding shortfall.