HGVs and vans paying as much as £20 per journey will no longer be charged at the Severn road crossing.
Scrapping the toll will save haulers £43 million every year
Administration of the Severn crossing returns to Central government by the start of 2018 which automatically end the charges. The cost of using the two bridges on the M4 and M48 motorways have risen each year, costing the transport sector “millions of pounds” according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA). A ten-year battle in which the FTA has lobbied hard to have the charges dropped has resulted in a victory.
“We have fought long and hard on behalf of FTA members to get these charges removed. They represent a huge financial burden for logistics companies in the area – money that would be better spent on upskilling, recruitment and purchasing greener vehicles,” Ian Gallagher, FTA head of policy for Wales and the south west. Gallagher says that the crossing was the biggest toll charge in Britain and estimates it will save haulers and goods vehicle operators £43 million every year.
Road tolls are a massive burden to haulers and transport companies. With the scrapping of the Severn tolls, one of the worst offenders has gone. But with government spending continuing to be slashed across all sectors, sadly we are likely to see new tolls emerging to fund new road developments.
The UK is however by no means the worst offender for road tolls, as this story about Australian commuters paying $8000 on tolls every year attests to.