Merseyflow Runcorn bridge toll PCN

Alphawife

Hello everyone, not sure if any of you are aware of the new bridge that has been erected to cross the mersey river at Widnes/Runcorn but to cut a long story short you have to pay £2 for each crossing made even though the existing bridge which was free to cross has now been closed forcing drivers to use the toll bridge. I crossed the bridge on Thursday for a return journey and tried to pay online the following day as asked to do by Merseyflow. Their website wouldn't accept the payment for some reason so I tried ringing the helpline to ask for advice and it was permanently engaged. I managed to get through this morning only to be told I only had 24 hours from time of using the bridge to pay and I was now being issued with 2 PCNs for £40 each! To say I'm fuming is an understatement as I feel I tried my best to pay. I'm wondering I have any grounds to appeal the PCNs when they arrive or do I just suck it up and pay? Thanks in advance for reading. I can't attach the link for Merseyflow sorry. I hope I have posted in the correct place as it's my first time posting. Please remove if not

w06

you're not alone, there was an article in the Liverpool Echo about the same problem last night or night before (it's online)

The same system won't allow me to register my vehicle, emailed early last week, no asnwer as yet, thankfully don't go that way often

w06

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/fury-builds-over-mersey-gateway-13781304

Alphawife

When I spoke to a manager at Merseyflow this morning she said she was in all day yesterday and the phones where never that busy to be engaged! No wonder she didn't think it was busy when nobody could get through. Thank you for the link w06, it's nice to know I'm not alone!

ydarin

Does any one know if Merseyflow legally has the right to insist on their method of payment to pay the fine?


Thanks

unforeseen

Well you have a choice of online or by phone. What is the problem?
The Mersey Gateway Bridge and A533 (Silver Jubilee Bridge) Road Users Charging Scheme Order 2017 gives them the authority to dictate how penalties should be paid

https://www.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/docs/Roads-User-Charging-Scheme-Order-2017.pdf para 7

SGadd

I cannot for the life of me think why anyone can or would condone the Runcorn Bridge AKA Merseyflow as it is a clear and utterly scandalous money making scam.

It replaces the free to cross old Runcorn Bridge at a place that cannot be crossed for 10 miles in either direction.

What the hell do all the taxes we pay towards road transport go to if not this vital crossing?
But that’s only the start of the argument against paying a toll charge:

Not having the ability to pay at the crossing point is the biggest single bone of contention;
There simply MUST be a toll crossing payment kiosk on site somewhere, actually en-route, NO IFS OR BUTs.

The Online payment system MUST only be a lesser secondary option and must NOT be the primary option of payment. As things are; not having the ability to pay at the time, in person, generates all the sources of grievance for those that are victimised and fined indiscriminately for whatever cause,

Why else would over a million fines have been issued since opening? And we all know why they don’t want to put the obvious fix in place – the continued income generation through nefarious means, C’mon any solicitor out there could sort this out, we just need to club together and make it happen.

The similarities between this scandal and PPI and bank charges refunds is beyond a joke…?

Because when payments fail, for whatever reason, or even because people are not even aware of how to pay...

This can very simply be rectified by having toll kiosks; make them automatic if you must, but there MUST be on site payment available!

Also, there would not be the situation that we are in where fines are automatically generated a few hours later, when the obvious solution should be to notify by post of a missed payment a the opportunity to make payment rather than being unreasonably fined because frankly - it’s a p!ss poor way to approach business and shows utter contempt for us road users who are systematically being fleeced as easy victims that struggle to fight back.

I could go on for hours about what is wrong with the Runcorn Bridge fiasco but you all know the score, we shouldn't be paying a toll at all.

I myself am looking for a way to bring a collective grievance against those responsible for this utterly appalling injustice against British tax payers.

I welcome any advice supporting action in opposition of this scam that will instead represent fairness for us.

Steve.