North Lincolnshire Council has long made the case for decisive Government action on the very high tolls on the Humber Bridge.
Over many years, MPs on both banks have made clear their opposition to the high tolls. In fact, it would be fair to say there has been fierce debate about the tolls ever since the bridge opened in 1981.
So Thursday 30 July 2009 will go down as a red-letter day in the history of the bridge. It marked exactly 21 weeks since the Public Inquiry closed into an application by the Humber Bridge Board to increase the toll. On 30 July 2009, the Government announced it had rejected the Public Inquiry inspector’s recommendation. The inspector had recommended an increase in the toll. But the Government made clear the toll was to be kept at its present level, for all classes of vehicle – for an unspecified period.
In making the announcement, the Transport Minister Sadiq Khan, said:
“I do not believe it is right for the Humber Bridge tolls to be raised in the current economic climate and so, after careful consideration, I have decided not to accept the proposed increases. This will help local people and businesses who rightly had concerns about the impact of increased tolls.”
This was the news the campaign against the high toll had been waiting for. It is seen as a significant breakthrough in the long-running campaign to get the toll on the Humber Bridge either scrapped or significantly reduced.
And it’s the first time since the Humber Bridge was opened nearly 30 years ago that a Government Minister has overturned an inspector’s recommendation. The Minister's words were welcomed on both banks of the Humber – by the four councils, the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, MPs, and many others regionally.
Please note: Local link offices no longer sell Humber Bridge tickets. You can still buy bridge tickets from the Humber Bridge Board and from Church Square House, High Street, Scunthorpe.
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