Freight News, Road

FTA holds government to Severn toll promise

[ June 23, 2017   //   Chris ]

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) is calling on the Government to guarantee its pre-election promise to remove all charges on the Severn Bridges.

It says that, with the highest tolls on the entire UK road network, the two motorway crossings into Wales are “a massive burden on road haulage businesses who have seen year-on-year price increases, costing the sector millions of pounds”.

Head of policy for Wales and the South West, Ian Gallagher, said: “Removal of tolls on the Severn Bridges has been a key FTA priority for many years, so the election commitment by all parties to end the charges was welcome. FTA members are now looking for a firm guarantee from the Government to deliver on this promise to deliver much needed revenue to business at a time when inflationary pressure continues to grow.”

The administration of the two bridges at the Severn Crossing is due to revert to central government control at the end of this year or in early 2018, when toll charging will automatically end. However, a new charging system is currently planned to replace the tolls and FTA says the Government must make an announcement to scrap charges altogether at the first opportunity.

Currently it costs £20 for an HGV to cross into Wales and £13.40 for a van.

Gallagher said the high cost of doing business in Wales has been recognised as a barrier to inward investment by FTA members and their customers, and puts Welsh freight operators at a disadvantage when tendering for business in England.

FTA says that a study by consultants ARUP in 2012 showed that scrapping the toll would boost Welsh GDP by £107 million, more than the amount raised annually by the Severn Bridge toll. Annual savings for some FTA businesses could be in the hundreds of thousands of pounds.

 

 

Tags: FTA