Prospective MP Andrew Percy has officially backed the 'A Toll Too Far' campaign which has been launched jointly by the Scunthorpe Telegraph and the Hull Daily Mail. The campaign is gathering signatures from across the region on a petition which demands Government action to deal with the tolls.

The whole of Brigg & Goole is affected by these expensive tolls. The bridge cost £151 million to build and yet, due to interest charges, the debt presently stands at £350 million. This means that 80% of toll charges go straight to the Government to service the debt.

The Humber Bridge Toll Study was paid for by the four Councils in the Humber area and quite clearly shows that the region would benefit to the tune of £1.1 billion if the tolls were removed. I support the Humber Bridge Board’s idea of a 5 year toll holiday so that an assessment could be made to measure the economic impact of the tolls on the region.

Local people are directly affected by the high cost of the toll. It is outrageous that patients are having to pay £2.70 every time they cross the bridge to access NHS treatment.

The Prime Minister has already responded to a previous 8,000 name petition calling for action to deal with bridge tolls on the Humber Bridge. Instead of a pledge of action, the Prime Minister instead stated that the bridge tolls were a matter for the Humber Bridge Board and thus the Government would not be doing anything.

The Humber Action Against Tolls group website can be found at www.humbertollaction.org.uk