Tamar Tolls rise - as campaigners vow to keep fighting the way crossings are funded

As the cost to cross the River Tamar goes up today, campaigners say they'll continue to fight for changes.

It's after an independent inquiry ruled the joint committee that oversees the crossings could put up prices as it was both 'necessary and proportionate'.

There were 412 formal objections to the increases - as well as a more than 6,000-strong petition, by the Tamar Tolls Action Group which has listed all of its opening and closing statements here.

Scott Slavin, who lives in Saltash, is chair of the Tamar Toll Action Group which opposed the change and says other bridges - like the one to Wales from Bristol - are now free and other crossings subsidised by Government.

Ahead of the public inquiry campaigners staged a demo

He said: "We feel is our position is to drive the need for change and to pressure our local councillors - there's obviously just been a local election down here in Cornwall and so we'll start reaching out to the new councillors in post.

"Ideally we want free crossings, but at the very minimum what should be available - and we think is fair to be available - is a similar subsidy as the local users of the Dartford and Mersey crossings receive, where the Government subside them

“There's a financial pressure here. particularly on businesses in South East Cornwall there's a large haulage company here which is having to pay over £100,000 a year - a 15 per cent lump on top of that is a substantial cost for a business to find.

"It's not just the cost at the toll booth to the individual, it's also the cost that businesses here must pass on to their customers in order for them to remain profitable."

Campaigners say they are also worried about what they call the seeming 'lack of progress' in developing a long-term plan for the funding of the crossing - more details here.

An update showing the new charges can be found here

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