A call to temporarily suspend the Humber Bridge tolls has been made as coronavirus stifles the economy - with only essential journeys now supposedly being made on the region鈥檚 roads.聽
The proposal is three-fold, with the easing on pockets and removal of the potential to pass on the virus through toll operations, as well as helping ensure social distancing with the avoidance of public transport.
Carl Bradley, director of Hessle-based Clark Weightman, a pan-Humber operational chartered surveyors鈥 office, said: 鈥淚t is a regional landmark and such a step would underline several points.
鈥淰irtually all businesses are struggling, and they incur a cost whether they are being paid by customers or not. Fruit and vegetables, the likes of Jackson鈥檚 Bakery and many seafood operators, must still be using it on a daily basis.聽
鈥淲e are trying to be responsible as a business, but are still incurring costs on the bridge.
鈥淭here are also key workers heading to the Hull hospitals, people who have chosen to live on the other side of the river.鈥
It is not without precedent, London has lifted the congestion charge and low emission zones, though that is an environmental measure, whereas the 拢1.50 car crossing is paying off a major debt.聽
A spokesperson for the Humber Bridge Board said: 鈥淭he Humber Bridge will continue to provide our service to the public and business whilst ensuring we minimise the risk to our staff and all our users from the coronavirus.
Coronavirus and the Humber:
鈥淕overnment has made no change in what the bridge board is expected to do, therefore we will continue to operate. To do this, we need to continue paying off the debt and meet the day-to-day running costs of the bridge by collecting the tolls either by Tag or by payment at the booths.
鈥淲e would like to remind Humber Bridge users to pay by contactless methods wherever possible.鈥
Mr Bradley, who hails from the South Bank but has settled in single daily exercise routine range away from the North Tower, is not the first commercial property agent to suggest a new way forward, if not quite as dramatic.
Malcolm Scott, founder of Scotts, made what was at the time described as 鈥渁n audacious bid鈥 to buy the Humber Bridge for 拢100m back in 2011, in exchange for wiping out a 拢332m debt that he said was having a crippling effect on the Humber region鈥檚 economy. He failed, but his campaign - aligned to the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce鈥檚 effort - eventually led to tolls being halved.
