The UK’s highest-security prison warned Sadiq Khan that imposing tolls on the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels would make it harder to recruit and retain prison guards, it can be revealed.
Bosses at Belmarsh prison wrote to Transport for London to plead for its staff – and those at adjacent Thameside prison and Isis young offenders’ institute – to be exempt from paying the new tolls.
Drivers who make a round trip in peak hours face an £8 levy on weekdays to use the new Silvertown tunnel or the Blackwall tunnel from Spring next year.
Consultation documents published by TfL reveal that a response was received asking “for consideration to be given for HMP Belmarsh, HMP Thameside and HMP Isis staff to receive an exemption from the proposed charges.
“It stated that many staff who work at these establishments live on either side of the tunnels and that the charges would put financial pressure and hardship on staff.
“Additionally, it raised that it would impede recruitment and retention of staff.”
Under the concessions being offered by TfL, residents of 13 east and south-east boroughs will get a 50 per cent discount on the tolls for a minimum of three years if they are in receipt of certain low-income benefits, such as income support, housing benefit and working tax credit.
The consultation documents also reveal that the John Lewis Partnership “raised concerns” at the scale of the charges and said they would have “negative impacts on the company’s efforts to help the capital’s economic growth” by increasing transport costs.
Canary Wharf Group said the tolls would penalise its staff.
The documents, published as TfL’s board rubber stamped the charges, reveal that only 257 people and organisations out of 5,181 who took part in the consultation support imposing tolls on the tunnels – with 1,548 opposed.
The consultation was designed to allow residents and stakeholders to comment on the tolls and the concessions. It was not a referendum on whether tolls should be imposed.
But Silvertown tunnel opponent Dominic Leggett said: “TfL and the mayor ignored the hundreds of climate, environmental, air pollution and traffic experts and local healthcare workers who warned them that the Silvertown tunnel would increase traffic, congestion, local pollution and carbon emissions.
“Now they're ignoring the 95 per cent of consultation respondents who object to them tolling a previously free crossing at Blackwall, to attempt to clean up the mess of pollution and congestion they've discovered their £2bn white elephant will create.”
The consultation ran from July 10 to September 3.
On Wednesday, The Standard revealed that motorists would be paying more than £100m a year in tolls and penalty charges to use the tunnels – but TfL only expected to make a £3m annual “profit”.
Peak charges are £2.50 for a motorbike or moped, £4 for a car or small van, £6.50 for a large van and £10 for a HGV.
Motorists who fail to register for AutoPay will always pay peak charges during charging hours, which apply seven days a week, from 6am to 10pm.
Drivers who fail to pay risk being sent an £180 penalty charge notice. No more than one penalty ticket a day will be issued, even if drivers fail to pay for multiple journeys.
The TfL report says: “The primary purpose of the user charges is to manage traffic demand for the river crossings.
“A secondary reason for the user charges is to provide a means of helping to pay for the design and construction of the Silvertown tunnel and the ongoing operation and maintenance of both Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels.”
Peak hours are only on weekdays – between 6am and 10am northbound and 4pm to 7pm southbound.
The 50 per cent discount on tunnel charges will be available to drivers on certain benefits living in Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, City of London, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.
More than 1.4m drivers are already registered with AutoPay, which TfL already uses for the Ulez.
Licensed black taxis are exempt from the tolls.
According to the consultation documents, boroughs such as Newham, Hackney, Greenwich and Redbridge questioned why the toll was cheaper than a bus fare (currently £1.75).
TfL said that bus travel on any of the routes through the tunnels – the 108, the 129 and the SL4 Superloop – plus on cross-river DLR services and the cycle shuttle bus would be free “for at least the first year”.
It added that once the cost of fuel and parking were added, the overall cost of using a car to travel through the tunnel would be higher than the cost of a bus fare.
Only a third of respondents said they planned to use the public transport options once Silvertown opens.
Tower Hamlets council said there was “no justification” for not charging to use the tunnels between 10pm and 6am, and feared “poor driver behaviour” in the early morning as drivers rushed to avoid the toll.
