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| Severn Crossings: 'Scope for huge cut' in toll fees | Severn Crossings: 'Scope for huge cut' in toll fees |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Toll prices on the Severn Crossings could be cut dramatically and still cover running and maintenance costs, an MP claims. | Toll prices on the Severn Crossings could be cut dramatically and still cover running and maintenance costs, an MP claims. |
| Car drivers currently pay £6.50 to use the M48 Severn Bridge and M4 Second Severn Crossing. | Car drivers currently pay £6.50 to use the M48 Severn Bridge and M4 Second Severn Crossing. |
| The chancellor George Osborne has said tolls for cars and vans will be cut to £5.40 in 2018, when they return to public ownership. | The chancellor George Osborne has said tolls for cars and vans will be cut to £5.40 in 2018, when they return to public ownership. |
| But Monmouth MP David Davies said there was scope for a bigger cut. | But Monmouth MP David Davies said there was scope for a bigger cut. |
| Fees are currently collected by a firm to pay for the construction and running costs due to be repaid by 2018. | Fees are currently collected by a firm to pay for the construction and running costs due to be repaid by 2018. |
| Mr Davies, who also chairs the Welsh Affairs Committee at Westminster, said it was possible to maintain the bridges "on a fraction" of the cost when they revert to public ownership. | Mr Davies, who also chairs the Welsh Affairs Committee at Westminster, said it was possible to maintain the bridges "on a fraction" of the cost when they revert to public ownership. |
| He has obtained figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) which he said showed a net revenue of £91.4m in 2014, of which £13.16m was operational expenditure, including maintenance, with £17m paid in Vat and which will be waived when they move into public ownership. | He has obtained figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) which he said showed a net revenue of £91.4m in 2014, of which £13.16m was operational expenditure, including maintenance, with £17m paid in Vat and which will be waived when they move into public ownership. |
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| "While we need to be careful in our interpretation of these figures, they conclusively demonstrate there is huge scope for a dramatic cut in the price of the tolls when the crossings revert to public ownership," said Mr Davies. | "While we need to be careful in our interpretation of these figures, they conclusively demonstrate there is huge scope for a dramatic cut in the price of the tolls when the crossings revert to public ownership," said Mr Davies. |
| In a letter to Mr Davies, the DfT said a financial forecast showed a deficit of £63m would still be outstanding by 2018, revised down from £88m, and which "could be recovered through tolling". | In a letter to Mr Davies, the DfT said a financial forecast showed a deficit of £63m would still be outstanding by 2018, revised down from £88m, and which "could be recovered through tolling". |
| The Welsh government has called for control of the bridges to be devolved. | The Welsh government has called for control of the bridges to be devolved. |