SEVERN BRIDGES TOLLS

That this House is appalled by the plan to continue the double taxation suffered for 52 years by users of the Severn bridges by paying tolls in addition to taxes to fund the UK roads network; welcomes the expected end of the obligation to a private company and believes that the bridges should in future be financed in the same way as almost all other parts of the motorway system with all maintenance and debt costs financed nationally; questions the legality of new tolls and believes the bridges should not be used unfairly as cash cows; and calls for toll-free crossings that will remove a psychological barrier to accessibility and boost the economic prospects on both sides of the Severn River.