For residents of the Liverpool City Region, T-FLOW Tunnel tolls and bus fares will be frozen, according to proposals that will be discussed at the Combined Authority meeting on Friday, December 15.
The Mayor’s attempt to keep travel affordable for locals amid the cost-of-living crisis includes the price freeze.
According to the plans, residents of the city region who have a T-FLOW account will be able to drive through the tunnel for £1.40, which will save them 70p on the cash toll.
Locals would therefore continue to pay the lowest rates when using the Mersey Tunnels. Tens of thousands of people save up to a third of their daily expenses because T-FLOW members who reside in the city region make up half of all Mersey Tunnel users.
The Mersey Tunnels’ excess revenue is reinvested in the area to support transport, such as sponsored bus services that private operators won’t operate because they don’t turn a sufficient profit.
Proposed bus and Mersey Ferries fares are also included in the report. The Mayor’s proposed £2 bus fare will stay in place, and the MyTicket, which gives under-19s unlimited all-day bus travel, will also be frozen at £2.20.
The prices for Mersey Ferries’ commuter service will remain at £2.90 for a single trip and £3.80 for a return trip.
The construction of a London-style transport network that offers citizens a true substitute for their cars and is quicker, less expensive, cleaner and more dependable has advanced significantly over the past year. This includes regaining control over the region’s bus fleet through franchising, investing £500 million in brand-new, publicly owned trains, purchasing a fleet of hydrogen buses, exploring the possibility of the region taking on rail infrastructure responsibility through a deal with the Department for Transport, and allocating more than £70 million for active travel.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:
“With the cost of living to continuing to put pressure on families across our region, I want to make sure we’re doing what we can to make travel as accessible, fair, and affordable for everyone.
“As well as keeping bus fares at £2 and bringing back the night bus, we’re freezing tolls for city region T-FLOW users too, to ensure that local people pay the lowest possible price to travel around our area. Thousands upon thousands of residents will benefit from these proposals and we’ll keep working hard to keep prices as low as possible, while still working to provide a better public transport system.
”Slowly but surely, we are beginning to see big improvements in our transport network as we build the London-style system that our area deserves. We’re taking back control of our buses, rolling out the country’s first publicly-owned trains in a generation and working to bring it together under a simple tap and go system.”
Public bodies are facing the same pressures as many households due to rising energy costs, which are driving up the cost of maintaining our vital infrastructure and public buildings.
The Mersey Tunnels require year-round maintenance and a significant amount of electricity to operate, but they are not supported by the central government. Rather, it is up to Merseytravel and the Combined Authority to find the money needed to maintain the tunnels’ effectiveness and safety.
Certain adjustments to fees and charges are being considered in order to help control the high cost of energy and inflationary pressures.
It is suggested that the cash toll for cars using the Mersey Tunnels and T-FLOW fees for non-residents of the Liverpool City Region increase by 10p to £2.10. This is a five percent increase, well below inflation and much less than the maximum fee of £2.70 permitted by the Tunnels Act.
The plans also call for a slight increase in the cost of tickets for leisure sailings offered by Mersey Ferries, such as the well-liked River Explorer Cruise, which will go from £12 to £12.75.
The majority of these modifications will take effect in April 2024 if they are approved.
For more information on travel services across the Liverpool City Region, please visit Merseytravel.
READ MORE: NEW £2 BUS FARES ANNOUNCED BY MAYOR STEVE ROTHERAM
