Driver's anger at toll car share costs (From Free Press Series)

Driver's anger at toll car share costs

11:50am Monday 11th February 2008

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AN ANGRY commuter is slamming the Severn Bridge company for refusing to provide discounts for car-sharers.

John Watkins, of Magor, and his colleagues use the M48 Severn Bridge twice a day in each other's cars to get to work in Bristol.

The season ticket-style TAG scheme they use allows unlimited crossings and saves motorists around £150 a year - but has to be used by the same car.

Mr Watkins is angry as it does nothing to encourage car-sharing.

"I asked Severn River Crossing what incentives they have for car-sharers, and they couldn't offer any," said Mr Watkins, 51, an operations manager at Rolls Royce.

"We're being forced to buy a TAG for each car or pay the full toll. It's ridiculous."

Severn River Crossing plc, based in Bristol, claims to provide "the best possible service" to people who use the two bridges.

But Jim Clune, general manager of Severn River Crossing, explained car-sharing commuters wishing to benefit from the discount scheme "must always cross the bridges with the same car" - effectively meaning they are no longer car-sharers.

He said: "We have a real time indication of cars going through the tolls, so we can tell which vehicles go through at which time.

"We also have camera surveillance, so we can monitor that the TAGs are not being used fraudulently."

John Griffiths, AM for Newport East, described the company's policy as "very disappointing".

"The Government is trying to encourage car sharing for very good reasons: it's good for the environment, reduces congestion, and it's cheaper," he said.

Mike German, South Wales East AM, said: "This is part of a continuing saga of intransigence concerning Severn River Crossing.

"The lack of credit card facilities is another example of their inflexibility."

Mr German promised to write to Ruth Kelly, secretary of state for transport, to request an immediate review of the company's policies.

----------------------------------------------------------------------- THE TAG is an electronic device which is fixed to car windscreens and scanned by sensors at the toll gate.

A season TAG costs around £93 per month for cars and light vans, £280 per quarter, and £1,120 per year. The average cost of paying the £5.30 toll for cars and light vans every weekday for a year without TAG would be £1,270.

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