A major hike in the Tyne Tunnel toll will hit struggling workers hardest, North East council bosses have been warned.
Councillors voted on Tuesday to up the price of using the crossing by as much as 50p, though the increase was delayed by three months from next February to May in an effort to avoid putting extra financial pressure on people this winter. The decision means that the class two vehicle toll for car drivers will rise from £1.90 to £2.20 and the class three HGV toll will go up from £3.90 to £4.40.
But the move quickly drew criticism yesterday afternoon. South Tyneside councillor Ernest Gibson warned at a meeting of the North East Joint Transport Committee (JTC), held barely an hour after the toll hike was signed off, that the price increase would come “at the cost of the working man who is finding it difficult to survive”. The Labour councillor added: “We keep putting the burden on people who cannot afford the increase, people who are driving to work every day.
