3. Urgent Question: Tolling on the Severn Crossings

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:34 pm on 17 January 2017.

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Photo of David Lloyd David Lloyd Plaid Cymru 2:34, 17 January 2017

(Translated)

May I give thanks for the question and also for your initial response to Mark Reckless’s question? Because, naturally, this causes some confusion to us as a party too, and, as Mark Reckless mentioned, we’ve already had unanimous agreement across the parties here that we need to scrap these tolls entirely. Because, as I’ve mentioned in the past, there is a bridge near my office in Baglan, which is the bridge over the River Nedd in Briton Ferry, which also on stilts and crosses a river, but, of course, there’s no toll there at all. I’m not suggesting that there should be tolls there, but, of course, it makes no sense philosophically that there are tolls on some bridges but not on others. But, as you’ve said already, the tolls over the Humber bridge have already been scrapped and the argument for scrapping the Severn tolls is more strategic, as you’ve already mentioned. Now, I haven’t heard anyone arguing that the tolls should be reduced to £3. What I’ve been hearing is that we need to scrap the tolls entirely. So, I know what the reality of the situation is, but what exactly can we do now to push this agenda forward in order to scrap those tolls entirely? Thank you.