A new toll system for using the Severn bridges is being considered by a consortium led by English councils from the West Country. They are likely to be part of a M4 & M5 road tolling scheme to discourage traffic and encourage motorists to use public transport or share vehicles, primarily to reduce traffic jams in Bristol, but also along the motorway corridor in South Wales. While the … [Read more...]
Severn Bridges toll booths removal
The Severn Bridge tolls end over the next few days. Booths are being removed on the newer bridge this weekend and next week the tolls on the original crossing will be taken out of service but temporary speed limits will operate until the motorway standard carriageways are fully operational. … [Read more...]
Newslines 3 November
Chepstow and south east Wales house prices are soaring. The end of the Severn Tolls from the middle of December has led to a rapid rise in property enquiries and prices as Bristol commuters seek to improve their lives and move over the Bridge into Wales, adding close to £100,000 to some Chepstow prices. Ford may be offered a VW electric vehicle platform for future models. The German … [Read more...]
Severn Tolls end on 17 December
Christmas is coming early for users of the Severn Bridges. The controversial tolls which have operated since the early 1960s will be abolished on 17 December, The news has been welcomed by the Freight Transport Association, the only business group representing all of logistics, welcomes this news after campaigning for the removal of the tolls for a number of years. As Sally Gilson, FTA’s … [Read more...]
Severn Tolls to be cut next week
This January will mark an event which drivers in Wales, the South West and West Midlands have long been waiting for – a price slash for the Severn Crossing tolls – which will save commuters who use the bridge on weekdays almost £300 on average. After years of inflated prices, the Severn Bridge Crossings will cost £5.60 for cars to travel between England and Wales from 8 January. Until now, … [Read more...]
Government urged to honour pledge to remove Severn tolls
The Freight Transport Association wants the Government to guarantee its pre-election promise to remove all charges on the Severn Bridges. The two bridges spanning the Severn estuary on the M4 and M48 motorways in Wales have the highest toll charges on the entire UKroad network. This represents a massive burden on road haulage businesses who have seen year-on-year price increases, costing the … [Read more...]
Troubled bridge over waters
The UK Government is keeping the Welsh Assembly in the dark over finances and plans for the Severn Crossings after they move into private ownership, according to a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure Mr. Ken Skates. Accordingly, Welsh Government is unable to submit the type of detailed response to this consultation that it hoped because of the lack of detailed … [Read more...]
Welsh “pay as you enter tax” under consultation
Arguments about paying to cross Britain's biggest road bridges have raged for as long as the structures themselves have existed - and that's 50 years, writes Dave Moss. It all comes to a head in a month when submissions on the tolling proposals must be submitted for consultation. So let's look back to when the story began in September 1966 and the new Severn Bridge opened to M4 motorway … [Read more...]
Severn Crossing plans fall short for Welsh economy, say FTA
Government plans for the future of the Severn Crossing are a missed opportunity, say transport businesses. The Freight Transport Association represents the transport interests of companies moving goods by road, rail, sea and air, and has welcomed the announcement from the Department for Transport that tolls payable at the Severn Crossing are to be reduced. The reductions, which are to be … [Read more...]
Severn Tolls plan to slash costs
Severn Bridge tolls will be slashed when the crossings revert to public ownership next year under Government proposals. Talks will be held on plans to have a £3 fee for small vehicles and £10 for larger ones, as well as the possible introduction of free-flowing tolling using a number-plate recognition system as on the Dartford Crossing. The plan has been outlined to Welsh AMs by the Welsh … [Read more...]