Proposed price hike for Mersey tunnels

Drivers using the Mersey tunnels are facing a hike in tolls. A meeting will be held today to discuss recommendations by Merseytravel to put the prices up by 10p for car journeys. That takes the cost from £1.60 to £1.70.

If approved it'd be the second consecutive year in which tolls increased for drivers using the Birkenhead and Wallasey tunnels. The price change would come into effect from April 1.

There are also plans to approve an increase on the Fast Tag toll, taking it £1.40 for cars, hikes are also being proposed for other classes of vehicles.

Merseytravel say the new proposed charge is actually less than the "authorised" rise under the tolling mechanism, in which tolls should rise in line with inflation. If that measurement was used tolls would have risen to £1.80 a car. The company say the 10p "discount" was at the discretion of elected members.