Written evidence from Mark Pendleton
I live in Chepstow and do business with companies
throughout South Wales and would like to comment on my views from
the perspective of both a local and wider perspective.
These comments fall into three categories:
— Local Business and Economic impacts;
— General Impact on South Wales; and
LOCAL BUSINESS
AND ECONOMIC
IMPACTS
Bridge tolls have today and have for some years
had a major impact on the local economy in the immediate vicinity
of the Bridges, since while the vital link is there and enables
access across the Severn, the tolls, especially at the level that
they have now reached act as a barrier to business activity across
the bridge. I have on a number of occasions encountered businesses
based on both sides which decline to do business on the opposite
side to their base since the cost of crossing with even a small
car-based van is currently £10.90. If they need to use a
vehicle of over 3,500 KG then the toll is £16.40.
The overall effect is therefore for the bridge
to become a barrier, which is both economic and psychological.
Given that businesses in the Chepstow to Newport area have a major
conurbation (Bristol) just a short distance away, they are disadvantaged
by the cost of tolls in doing business there, which are simple
cost burdens.
The cost of bridge tolls certainly also impact
on leisure visitors coming to the Chepstow/Wye Valley areas from
say, the Bristol area—again bearing in mind that a coach
incurs a toll of £16.40.
I cannot quantify this, but my impression is
of fewer tourist coaches visiting Chepstow than was the case a
few years ago and this could also be related to the high level
of tolls.
GENERAL IMPACT
ON SOUTH
WALES
The broader impact in my view is a simple one
of cost—if one considers that each large vehicle load of
goods brought into Wales along the M4 incurs an additional cost
of £16.40 in its transport costs the impact is clear in the
imposition of costs. Again this must have an impact on leisure
travel in a similar way.
TOLL ADMINISTRATION
The bridge operators are frankly unhelpful in
the way that tolls are operated in two respects:
— It is not currently possible to pay with
a card—in the modern world business travellers customarily
pay for almost every travel and incidental expense they incur
with a credit or debit card, as do commercial vehicle operators.
I have witnessed the drivers of trucks from other parts of Europe
struggling to find enough cash in sterling to pay bridge tolls.
The company now accepts payment in Euros, but surely much better
to come up to date and accept card payments?
— The Severn TAG arrangements are very
poor. There is no discount granted for payment in advance for
trip TAGS and season TAGS offer a discount only if crossing more
than 18 times per month. Furthermore TAGS are required to be used
only by one specified vehicle, it seems an easy matter to enable
the TAG to be used by one of several specified vehicles.
The result of this way of operating wins the
bridge operators no friends since the whole deal seems very one-sided
with an impression of a poor customer service and linked to the
ever increasing tolls this makes for a high level of dissatisfaction
locally with the operation of the Bridges.
September 2010
| 
