Last chance to put questions for Tamar meet

A CRUCIAL meeting to decide whether users of a Tamar Crossings discount scheme will pay more in admin charges will take place next Monday, but today is the deadline for submitting questions.

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The extraordinary meeting has been called for January 12 following a public backlash and opposition from local MPs to the proposed 150 per cent rise.

The Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee supported to increase the TamarTag admin fee from 80p a month to £2 at their meeting just before Christmas, after hearing that the current fee didn’t cover costs of running the scheme.

But there was outrage from regular users of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferries who had already experienced an increase in crossing charges just a few months earlier.

TamarTag is a prepaid electronic tolling system that offers 50 per cent discount on tolls. In May users saw a 20p increase in the toll charge to £1.50 and car and vans without a Tag now have to pay £3 to cross from Cornwall into Devon via the bridge or ferry.

Members of the joint committee, made of councillors from Plymouth City Council and Cornwall Council, said the increase was necessary to plug a hole in the finances.