Toll bridge should be free when viaduct is closed

MOTORISTS should be allowed over the Warburton toll bridge, near Warrington, free of charge when Thelwall Viaduct is closed or there are severe tailbacks.
This is the view of the Liberal Democrat opposition group on Warrington Borough Council.
They say congestion is one of the most serious problems affecting the economic development of Warrington and the well-being of local people. It not only wastes time, affects health but it also costs a great deal of money.
Cllr Bob Barr said: “The Department for Transport issued guidance in 2005 which values travel time for work as being between £10 and £45 per hour, commuting trips at £5 per hour while other travel for non-work purposes is valued at £4.50 per hour,
“This suggests that for a toll of 12p, a non-work traveller will have lost more than the toll if the tolling process delays them for more than one and a half minutes. Someone travelling in work time needs only be delayed by three quarters of a minute for the delay to cost more than the toll.
“Yet, when the M6 is congested, diverted traffic can stand on the A57 for half an hour or more. Tailbacks on the south side of the ship canal can block the routes from Altrincham and Partington through Dunham and Warburton into Lymm as well as the approaches to the Toll Bridge.”
Cllr Barr added: “What sort of company continues to take tolls and knowingly cause congestion and unreasonable delay to collect 12p from each vehicle? It is Peel Holdings.
“It is difficult to believe that any meaningful negotiations with Peel over the timing of swings of the Ship Canal bridges to help minimise congestion and traffic delays can occur, if their attitude is typified by their actions at Warburton.
“I am not asking for them to stop tolling altogether, simply to stop tolling when the tailbacks from the toll booth exceed some agreed limit. I understand that Peel has already agreed to consider stopping tolling at Warburton when the Thelwall viaduct is closed which is a move in the right direction.
“We want Peel to become good neighbours to the people of Warrington, Salford and Trafford. At minimal cost they can stop causing unnecessary congestion, stop wasting our residents’ time and causing air pollution, by forgoing their right to collect a tiny toll.
“Tolling at all times is not the action of a constructive partner in the economic development of the North West but could be viewed as the action of a greedy bully.”
Pictured: Cllr Bob Barr at Warburton Bridge