CAMPAIGNERS who want to see tolls abolished on the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry say that they are in the fight for the long haul.

The pledge from the Tamar Toll Action Group (TTAG) comes days after the Government gave its official approval to a 30% price hike for the two crossings.

The “user pays” model is written in to the Act of Parliament that first granted assent to Plymouth and Cornwall to build the bridge, back in the 1950s. But the continued charging of motorists over subsequent decades has been called a “stealth tax” by many who journey back and forth each week.

As of January 2023 the cash toll for crossing from Cornwall into Devon via the River Tamar will go up from £2 to £2.60. Tamar Tag users saw their discount reduced in May and have been paying an extra 30p on each journey since then. The tag discount will not change and tag users will continue to pay £1.30 once the rise for cash payments comes into force next year.

Plymouth and Cornwall Councils have stated that in the long-run, their aim is for the bridge and ferry to be toll free.  But this would require political will and new legislation. In the meantime, the joint committee of councillors who oversee management of the crossings say that there is no choice but to raise the prices.

They cite the crossings’ £43-million plus debt, for which interest payments alone swallow up a third of toll income.

Joint chairmen of the committee, Cornwall Councillor Martin Worth and Plymouth City Councillor Jonanthan Drean, said: “The income needed to operate the crossings relies on traffic numbers and even now, more than two years after the first lockdown, traffic is only about 90% of pre-pandemic levels.

“We need to ensure that we have the funding required to carry out vital safety works and ongoing maintenance to keep services running and enable the public to cross the Tamar safely.

“This additional revenue will address the shortfall in income and provide us with the funding to secure the future of both the bridge and the ferries “

The Tamar Toll Action Group was formed in May to campaign on behalf of the residents of SE Cornwall who use the crossings regularly.

Its vice-chair Scott Slavin said: “We feel optimistic that there is sufficient public anger and support for the cause for it to be untenable for local MPs to ignore this as an issue. However we recognise that this will not happen overnight...it’s a long campaign that will require us to work hard to maintain it in the spotlight.”

The action group has some 2,000 members,  and as well as frequent updates on its Facebook page, it also holds in-person meetings, its first two gatherings attracting 50 to 60 people. Members are predominantly drawn from Saltash: the committee would like to see more residents of the Rame Peninsula and other areas join and the campaign speak with one voice for commuters. There has sometimes been friction between users of the two different crossings, as it’s felt in financial terms the bridge props up the ferry: the action group says its goal is to see the tolls on both removed for the sake of local people.

TTAG sees its role as one of focusing attention on issues that matter to the most affected communities, and improving the flow of information out to the public.

“Our approach will be improving dialogue with the Joint Committee and opening up their decision-making processes and actions to increased public scrutiny, encouraging and supporting them to improve their efforts to secure central funding.”

The quest to see the crossings fully subsidised by central government has already been a long one: Looe Councillor Armand Toms first became involved with the issue more than 15 years ago. Cllr Toms is among the many people who have argued that the bridge is part of the strategic highway network and as such should receive subsidy at the very least for the road surface. He has said that he could give “chapter and verse” about how Cornwall and Plymouth have been treated differently to other parts of the country when it comes to their river crossings infrastructure.

Concerns over how the increased fee will impact upon local people focus not just on workers but those using the bridge for education, to get to the hospital, or for leisure. One user said: “This will undoubtedly stop people’s movement as the cost of living crisis bites deep in the next few months.”