Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of (a) a phased reduction of toll fees over a period of several years and (b) other alternatives to the abolition of tolls on the M4 second Severn Crossing on 31 December 2018.

Prior to the Severn Crossings consultation in 2017 the Government undertook traffic modelling and economic appraisal to assess the impact of the policy to continue tolling at a reduced rate, and on the possible option of free-flow tolling. No modelling was done on a phased reduction in tolls over a period of several years.

The consultation found that interested local parties, including MPs, Assembly Members, businesses and commuters have long called for the abolition of the tolls. In view of that we decided not to press ahead with halving the tolls but instead committed to abolishing the tolls entirely by the end of 2018.

The current tolling arrangements at the crossings interrupt traffic flow, leading to start/stop journeys and delays caused by drivers stopping to pay at the barriers. These queues average around 3 minutes. Removal of the barriers will result in improved journey times and reduced delays at the crossings, benefiting most drivers and will also help tackle peak time congestion at the crossings.