Councillors agree to scrap plans for Tamar Tag price increase
It comes after 82 per cent people opposed it in a public consultation
Last updated 26th Jun 2026
Councillors have unanimously rejected an increase in fees for the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry tags.
It comes after 82 per cent people opposed it in a public consultation.
The move to increase the fee from 80p to £2 a month was proposed to balance the books for the Tamar Tag scheme, which offers half price discount to people crossing the Tamar.
Admin fees had not been increased since 2014 and no longer covered costs, said officers.
The Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee, who manage the bridge and its finances on behalf of Plymouth City Council and Cornwall Council, initially backed the plan in December but later decided to put it on hold to consult the public after a backlash and opposition from MPs.
A total of 5,842 responses were submitted representing 11% of Tamar Tag account holders who would be directly affected by the proposal.
Joint chair of the committee Cllr Andrew Long (Mebyon Kernow, Cornwall Council) proposed the move be rejected at a meeting on Friday saying the only people who would be penalised by the hike were those who had no choice but to use the Tamar Crossings to get to work, hospital appointments and other services in Plymouth.
The toll charges apply to drivers entering Plymouth from Cornwall via the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry.
“I don’t think it is right that we should be doing that,” he said. “By rejecting this we will send a clear message back to central government that we are no longer prepared to merely hit the people who don’t have a choice. Central government is where the finance for this bridge and ferry need to be sorted.”
There is increasing pressure for the government to take over the running of the Tamar Crossings and abolish tolls which have increased significantly in recent years due to financial challenges.
The Tamar Bridge debt, which funds capital improvements for both the bridge and ferry, now stands at over £40 million.
Committee members have vowed to work closer with stakeholders and MPs to push for government action and find other new ways of balancing the books.
At the meeting on Friday, an amendment to defer the proposal for a further investigation into finances was withdrawn after councillors agreed they would just be “kicking the can down the road”.
Cllr John Stephens, Plymouth City Council’s Labour cabinet member for strategic planning and transport, who is also the new joint chair of the crossings committee, said the debt was “ a shackle” and the government needed to tackle action as local people “should not be carrying the burden of ongoing costs”.
Chief operating officer for the Tamar Crossings Philip Robinson said engagement emails were issued to over 50,000 account holders during the consultation.
He said despite recognising the public’s clear opinion, officers retained the view that after being unchanged for 12 years, an increase in monthly Tamar Tag account fees was “appropriate” .
“An increase would provide additional time to progress the other proposals including index linking tolls, the potentially transformational open road tolling approach and other possible government support,” he said.
He added that the crossings finances remain “extremely challenging” and since the beginning of the year further pressure had been created by falls in cash volumes and increased inflationary pressures following conflict in the Middle East.
Changing habits following the covid pandemic and rising costs as well as lack of government funding have all contributed to cost pressures in recent years.
The proposed rise would have resulted in an annual income change for managing the Tag scheme from £460,000 to £1.15million in 2026/27.
Chair of the Tamar Toll Action Group Scott Slavin said he was very pleased the committee had “made the right decision” as the price hike would have been “an extra burden” to regular users of the crossings that they didn’t need.
He urged people to join the peaceful protest march across the Tamar Bridge on July 25 and use their voice to make political pressure.