Toll fees set to rise for Tyne Tunnels

The prices will change from £1.90 to £2.20 for Class 2 vehicles and £3.90 to £4.40 for Class 3 vehicles.

Account holders will still receive a 10% discount on their journey, making the new toll for account holders £1.98 (Class 2) and £3.96 (Class 3).

The upkeep and construction costs of the tunnels are solely funded by tolls, not council tax, and the toll change, applied under the terms of the River Tyne (Tunnels) Order, is necessary to cover the running and maintenance costs of the tunnels, and repay the costs of the construction of the second tunnel, in line with inflation.

Pre-Paid account holders please ensure that you have sufficient funds in your account to cover journeys at the new toll price from May 1.

READ MORE: South Shields MP raises Chuter Ede closure in Parliament

The North East Joint Transport Committee, Tyne and Wear Sub Committee, sets the level of the toll, through a publicly accountable decision-making process. The maximum increase each year is limited by law.

TT2 Limited, as the operator of the Tyne Tunnels is responsible for collecting the toll payments, then both the toll and any Pre-Paid balances are paid directly to the local authorities into a ring-fenced Tyne Tunnels account.

The tolls are used by the local authorities to pay TT2 to operate the tunnels and to repay the debts incurred in the construction of the second tunnel.

You can find out more below about what toll payments go towards here: https://www.tt2.co.uk/toll-information/why-pay-a-toll/

Read South Tyneside’s news on the go with our free email newsletters - bringing the headlines to your inbox. Catch up on the day’s news and sport and enjoy even more from your Gazette. Visit our website here to find out more and sign up.