FREE PASS
Severn Bridges toll crossing scrapped TODAY saving drivers £1,400-a-year – but hauliers fear it will INCREASE costs to businesses
Motorists no longer have to pay to cross the River Severn, but hold-ups mean businesses could lose money
MOTORISTS can enjoy free crossing of the Severn Bridges from today - but it could lead to an INCREASE of traffic and costs to businesses, according to a lorry group.
The abolition means drivers can travel across the border between south Wales and south-west England free of charge for the first time in 52 years on the M4 and M8 crossings.
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But hold-ups in crossing the river will mean businesses which rely on transporting goods across the waterway lose money, Road Haulage Association (RHA) chief executive Richard Burnett said.
While he is in favour of abolishing crossing fees, Mr Burnett warned that any increase in transportation costs resulting from traffic would be passed on to customers.
He said: "We welcome the abolition of tolls as operators are already working to incredibly tight margins."
Hauliers "have no choice but to pass toll prices on to their customers," he added. "They then have to pass it on to theirs - everybody pays."
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However it is "essential that traffic remains free flowing", he said, adding: "Congestion as a result of increased vehicle numbers will quickly cancel out any advantages resulting from a toll-free crossing.
"The abolition of tolls on the Severn Bridge will inevitably increase the volume of traffic on this particular route."
The abolition means drivers can travel across the border free of charge for the first time in 52 years on the M4 and M8 crossings.
Iconic landmarks, the Severn Crossings have been used by more than 25 million vehicles each year.
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But the tolls have been removed as they're seen as an economic and symbolic barrier to Wales’ future prosperity, according to a government announcement.
Historian Anne Rainsbury told the : "Monday will be a very historic day.
"It'll be the first time you can cross the Severn Estuary for free."
Charges on the original Severn Crossing started in 1966, when the fee stood at two shillings and sixpence - the equivalent of 12.5p in decimal currency today.
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They were then introduced on the second crossing - renamed the Prince of Wales Bridge in April this year - when it opened three decades later in 1996.
This is the first time in 400 years the crossing has had a no-fee route. 17 December 2018.
Motorists have been paying £5.60 to drive their cars from England into South Wales, which means regular commuters are expected to save more than £1,400 a year.
The abolition comes as thousands of people are expected to make their journeys home for the festive period.
Businesses will benefit as being toll-free makes it easier for consumers and employees to cross the border.
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The tolls were reduced on New Year's Day 2018 after the bridges were returned to public ownership, but the Government resisted calls to immediately abolish crossing fees.
The final driver to pay to cross from England to Wales today was Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns.
He hailed the end of the charges as "a major milestone for the economies of south Wales and south west of England, and will remove historic barriers between communities.
"Scrapping the tolls means an end to generations of people paying to simply cross the border.
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"A week before Christmas, drivers will no longer have to pay, meaning more money in their pockets, helping them with the cost of living and leaving them with more cash to spend in their local areas."
Earlier this year more than 30,000 people signed a petition against the Second Severn Crossing being renamed after the Prince of Wales.
The new title, which has the agreement of the Queen and Prime Minister Theresa May, was to recognise Charles's 70th birthday year and 60 years since he became the Prince of Wales.
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The tolls were reduced on New Year's Day this year when the bridges returned to public ownership, although the Government initially declined to scrap the charges altogether.
The final driver to pay to cross from England to Wales was Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns on Sunday, according to the Government.
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