WARRINGTON North MP Charlotte Nichols says she will continue pressing for fairer treatment of motorists using the Warburton Toll Bridge after PEEL Ports completed an investigation into concerns raised by constituents.
Ms Nichols had previously raised complaints with PEEL Ports after motorists reported problems with the tolling system, including unpaid toll notices arriving months after journeys had taken place and concerns about how enforcement was being handled.
Following meetings with PEEL Ports, the company agreed to investigate the operation of the tolling system.
In a new update to constituents, Ms Nichols says the investigation has now been completed.
According to a response from Warburton Toll Bridge’s Deputy Port Director, Jon Hassett, PEEL Ports acknowledges that there have been delays in issuing some Unpaid Toll Charge Notices (UTCNs).
The company says the delays were caused by performance issues experienced by its enforcement services provider, Excel Parking Ltd.
It says that work has been undertaken with Excel to clear the backlog and that, from September, UTCNs will be issued within five working days of a contravention.
While welcoming the change, Ms Nichols says she does not believe it addresses all of the concerns raised by her constituents.
She is due to meet with Excel Parking Ltd, which operates the toll enforcement system on behalf of PEEL Ports, to discuss the way enforcement has been handled and individual cases brought to her attention.
She said:“While I welcome the improvements, I don’t believe that these changes address the full concerns of constituents, and I will continue to press for fairer treatment in how the bridge operates.”
The MP is asking anyone who has experienced problems with the toll bridge to contact her office with details of their experience and suggestions for improvements.
PEEL Ports says the underlying system is working
In its response to the concerns, PEEL Ports says it remains satisfied that “on the whole the tolling and enforcement system is operating correctly and lawfully.”
It says correct journey payments increased from 79% in April to 90% in August as users became more familiar with the system.
The company also says successful challenges to unpaid toll charge notices have represented around 0.5% of crossings since tolling was reintroduced.
However, PEEL Ports acknowledges that the driver experience has not worked as intended in every case, particularly because of the delays in issuing some notices.
It says appropriate action has been taken where its investigation identified an error by Excel, including upholding appeals and making retrospective payments where justified. It also says some notices have been cancelled where particular or exceptional circumstances warranted discretion.
What happens if you miss a toll?
The current Warburton Toll Bridge system requires motorists to pay by midnight on the day after their crossing. If the payment is not made, an Unpaid Toll Charge Notice can be issued.
The current published charges are £30 if paid within 14 days, £60 between 14 and 28 days, and £100 after 28 days, with additional administrative fees potentially applying.
Appeals are handled by Excel Parking Services through the online process outlined on the notice.
The toll bridge operator says the changes to the issuing process should provide motorists with greater clarity and reduce confusion caused by delayed correspondence.
But for Ms Nichols, the issue is not over.
She said: “This is an issue that I will keep fighting for.”
She has invited constituents with problems relating to the Warburton Toll Bridge to contact her office at charlotte.nichols.mp@parliament.uk.
The latest development follows earlier concerns raised by Ms Nichols in June after constituents reported receiving fines months after crossing the bridge, while some motorists also said their accounts had not been charged correctly.
PEEL Ports previously disclosed that 138,000 non-compliant crossings had been recorded, representing around 10% of crossings, and said a significant number of fines had subsequently been written off.
The next stage will be the MP’s meeting with Excel Parking and the examination of individual cases raised by constituents.
For motorists, the key change announced by PEEL Ports is that unpaid toll notices should now be issued within five working days – rather than potentially arriving months after the journey.
