A North East fitness guru claims that his business has lost thousands of pounds as a result of the Tyne Tunnel’s switch to a new cashless system.
David Fairlamb moved his well-known gym to a new base on the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate last year, but says his clients are now being put off coming for sessions with him because of traffic problems. While bosses at tunnel operator TT2 firmly deny the accusations and insist that the removal of toll booths has led to improved journey times since last November, the fitness instructor and other businesses that have spoken to the Local Democracy Reporting Service are certain that the changes are causing vehicles to back up on surrounding roads.
Mr Fairlamb likened the situation to the major congestion before the second tunnel opened in 2011 and said his customers from across the region “just can’t get here when they want to”, with many wanting to come to the gym either early in the morning or after work – the times when traffic around the Tyne Tunnel is at its worst. He added: “TT2 have said this is nothing to do with them and it would be like this anyway, and that the journey times have actually sped up.
