Time to stop paying Cleddau tolls?

3:21pm Wednesday 21st March 2007

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THE Cleddau Bridge has raked in many millions of pounds more in tolls than it ever cost to build, the Western Telegraph can reveal today.

A massive £22.5m has been handed over since Pembrokeshire County Council was formed.

In comparison, the cost of the bridge to build has been calculated at £10.1m, the county council said.

And the actual amount received from tolls will be much higher because figures for cash handed over to the previous authorities were not available.

Details on the money made from bridge tolls were obtained by the Western Telegraph under the Freedom of Information Act.

They show that income from tolls has risen steadily.

In 1996/97 £1.9m was taken, but by 2005/2006 that figure had risen to £2.7m.

At 75p a time - the standard rate for a car - that works out at 3.69m journeys.

Now county politicians are saying it is time to rethink the tolls.

Assembly Member Tamsin Dunwoody, said: "I am amazed at the level of income generated by the tolls. There is a tidy profit being made. It would be wonderful to de-toll the bridge as it has been a source of much irritation. Opening it up would increase tourism and business flows, as well as reducing the cost to commuters.

"It would be nice to see it included as part of the Trunk Road network and I shall urge the Minister to look at this.

MP Stephen Crabb agreed: "My view is that, once the costs of building a piece of infrastructure have been recovered, such tolls no longer serve a useful economic purpose and should be abolished.

"There is still too much of a division between north and south Pembrokeshire which is reinforced by the bridge toll."

South county AM Christine Gwyther said approaches had been made to the county council in the past about the Welsh Assembly taking over responsibility for the bridge.

"The council were adamant they would not agree to it," Ms Gwyther said.

"The county council is making serious money out of the tolls on the bridge, so in a way why on earth would it agree?

"Now that the assembly will have extra powers after May, perhaps it is time to reopen negotiations with the council, with a stronger arm."

Pembrokeshire County Council was asked what the money was spent on, but a spokesman said the council needed time to formulate a response.