Hauliers back Humber Bridge tolls fight

THE haulage trade has pledged support for the Mail's campaign to scrap the Humber Bridge toll or reduce it to just £1 for cars.

Many said they spent tens of thousands of pounds on the bridge toll every year and called for an end to the additional burden.

The Mail's A Toll Too Far petition – launched in partnership with our sister papers the Scunthorpe Telegraph and the Grimsby Telegraph – urges the Government to take the first step in abolishing the toll by axing the bridge's £350m debt.

This would allow the toll to be seriously reduced or scrapped altogether.

Already, more than 450 people have put their names to the petition, which can signed by filling out a coupon in the Mail or by visiting our website.

The haulage industry suffers from the effects of the Humber Bridge toll more than most.

A single journey for a heavy goods vehicle costs £18.30. This could rise to £19.90 if a proposed increase goes ahead.

Dominic Yeardley, managing director of Hull-based European Road Freight Ltd, calculated his firm spent more than £4,000 a year on the bridge toll.

He said: "I was shocked when I added up how much we spend. It would obviously make a huge difference to the company if it was scrapped.

"It's a very unwelcome additional expense during what is not an easy time."

Andrew Lunn, of AR Lunn Transport, in east Hull, estimated that the company spends £1,200 a week on tolls, working out at more than £60,000 a year. Much of this cannot be recouped from clients.

He said: "It most certainly puts off clients. We try to pass the charge on to them but it is very difficult.

"Many do not appreciate just how expensive the toll is, especially our customers from the Continent."

The campaign comes after a new independent report, commissioned by councils on the north and south banks, found the region's economy could net a massive £1bn in the next 25 years, if the toll – currently standing at £2.70 for a single crossing by a car – was scrapped.