Tyne Tunnel toll: Drivers face price rise from February

The Tyne Tunnel toll looks set to rise by at least 30p, councillors have been warned.

A report to North East transport bosses suggests increasing the prices from February 2023 to cover the costs of escalating inflation.

The cost of taking a car through the crossing could rise from £1.90 to £2.20, while the price for HGVs could go up from £3.90 to £4.40.

Members of five councils who manage the tunnel will make a decision next week.

The report prepared for the North East Joint Transport Committee's (JTC) Tyne and Wear sub-committee admitted a rise would be "unwelcome news" but costs were on the increase.

It said the hike could be put off until May when a new HGV toll comes into force to avoid causing extra financial hardship for struggling drivers, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Delaying the rise for three months would take £1.5m from the tunnel's cash reserves but freezing the toll beyond May would reduce coffers to "an unacceptable level", the report said.

Motorists who pay their Tyne Tunnel fees using a pre-paid account would still get a 10% discount under the new proposed levels.

If approved by the committee on Thursday, it would be the first toll rise since April 2021.

A spokesperson for Transport North East said: "We know that any toll increase will be unwelcome news, but the committee will carefully consider all available options before reaching a decision."

The introduction of a new payment system in November 2021 sparked thousands of complaints with drivers claiming they were wrongly fined.

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