Mersey Gateway Bridge A533
Just a warning to members about these newly opened Toll Bridges without toll booths for accepting payment.
There are two recently opened bridges crossing the Mersey river between Runcorn and Widnes, opened in Autumn 2017, the A533 Mersey Gateway Bridge and the A557 Silver Jubilee Bridge. Both are without toll booths so if, like us, you do not plan an exact route to your next destination you chance upon these two bridges in the north west you need to stop and pre book your crossing.
We have been fined £40.00 plus a £2.00 toll fee, reduced to £22.00 if we pay within 14days of the serving of the notice.
We had been in Nantwich and left to travel north to Southport, we decided to travel acroos country rather than backtrack to the chaos that is the M6, on approaching the Mersey Gateway Bridge, A533, we saw it was a toll operated bridge and prepared enough cash to pay at a booth, there was no mention on any of the signage we saw of pre registering to cross. We were directed off in the direction of Southport unable to pay any fee and it's been a very annoying surprise to get this penalty charge notice two weeks after crossing the bridge.
Members be aware this seems another money making scheme by a cash strappped council.
The site you need to register is www.merseyflow.co.uk
Apparently there are other similar occurences i.e. the Dartmouth tunnel has recently changed to pre register operation.
Moderator Comment - Moved from the Story Section
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this was on the news for months. you can pay up to 24 hours after crossing via internet even up to midnight the next day. plenty of signs about this around and approaching bridge.
take a look--https://www.merseyflow.co.uk/how-to-pay-for-a-crossing.
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DOBGOB said: Apparently there are other similar occurences i.e. the Dartmouth tunnel has recently changed to pre register operation.
Just to clear up any confusion: you do NOT need to pre-register to use the Dartford crossing. Yes, you can create an account and put money on it, but you do not HAVE to do that. You can pay up to midnight on the day AFTER you use the crossing. If you do have an account, the crossing is cheaper at £1.67 for cars and MHs.
Oh, BTW, it's actually nearly 4 years since the tollbooths were removed from the Dartford crossing, time flies!
Details for Dartford crossing https://www.gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge
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Ahh my favourite topic.
The Mersey Gateway, take a perfectly brilliant concept and screw it up.
Built to open Merseyside up to the Cheshire motorways and the M6 to bring lots of new opportunities and business to the region by relieving the pressure on the M6/M62 junction and Thelwall.
Take one free bridge, build another, then charge for both.
Result, many businesses have left the area due to the new toll charges and inconvenience of the increased traffic congestion on the M6/M62 junction and Thelwall which has further choked the already creaking network leading to longer delays.
Shame really as it is an excellent bit of planning and construction. Just a shame that businesses are leaving and the traffic congestion increased. Got to love them for trying.
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“Apparently there are other similar occurences i.e. the Dartmouth tunnel has recently changed to pre register operation.”
Gee, I didn’t think enough traffic crossed the River Dart to warrant a tunnel. 😆😆😆
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Yes, the Skye Bridge is free but in England we have to pay to use a bridge.....?
We need to learn how to organise a proper protest......
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I believe the new bridge was built with Chinese investment which obviously needs paying back (would some prefer this to come from our taxes whether you use it or not?). The original bridge (The Queens Jubilee Bridge) doesn’t open till October at the earliest, after extensive renovation work has been completed. Yes, this will also be Toll operated and again well signed as to the price and how to pay. I think £2 per crossing, even when towing, is fair. I live in the area and have not heard of a grand desertion of businesses? If anything, Widnes is booming along with, in my opinion, too many new houses being built.
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The original bridge was not built by the Chinese, it was built by the British and paid for by us long, long ago. So the only reason to charge for this is to force us to use the new toll bridge. Why do I have to pay for this when it is already paid for?
Why are the Chinese building bridges in the UK and making profit form British infrastructure and British tax payers, do you think this is right?
"would some prefer this to come from our taxes whether you use it or not?", yes absolutely because it relieves congestion and pollution and encourages inward investment that benefits all, it is called having good infrastructure. That is why we pay taxes.
I am pretty sure you contribute heavily to your local hospital through taxation, you only use it when you need it though. Of course we could save billions by selling it to the Chinese and then getting you to pay for your medical care when you need it. If you need it regularly then then tough. No, not acceptable, but apparently OK for our infrastructure.
You think £2 per trip is fair well then what about people like me who live Merseyside and work Cheshire. I now have the choice of 45min extra on the M6/M62 or paying for the bridge which used to be free. Do you think my boss will give me a £700 a year rise to gift to the Chinese for something that used to be free.
Also, consider a small business that has 10 vans crossing the bridge 20 times a day. Then they are looking at finding £30k per year to gift to the Chinese. So they have the option of raising their prices, losing an employee or just giving up and importing cheap Chinese goods instead.
If you want to understand the impact on inward investment in the area then talk to your local politicians.
Disgraceful.
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An absolutely brilliant post Phishing.......
+1 !!
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