Tyne Tunnel 2 - demonstrably unfair practices

Polfers

I last went through the Tyne Tunnel in early 2020 and paid my toll at the automated toll booth. In November 2024, I was diverted due to congestion from the A1M forcing me to use the tunnel - of itself, not a problem of course...

Having got my coins and debit card together incase I hadn't enough cash, there were no toll booths, and despite looking for it, no visible indication of there being a toll. I therefore assumed that there must be no toll charges anymore. WRONG!

Two weeks later, I received an "Unpaid Toll Charge Notice" for £60.00 (or £32.40 if paid in next 14 days, so that's alright then!) Apparently, they now read your number plate with cameras and expect you to pay your toll (itself a reasonable £2.40), by midnight of the following day online (not reasonable - especially when you've no idea it exists - and what if you don't have/can't access the internet within the required timeframe?)

There are no signs above the carriegway or over the tunnel entrance in either direction indicating there is a toll and how to pay it. TT2 claimed when I called them, that this is because it distracts motorists (doesn't seem to distract motorists with motorway signage). It transpires there are little blue signs with white writing off to the side of the road (which means you'd have to be distracted to see them), that just say "Tyne Tunnell Toll - Pay online by midnight tomorrow". It's clear thousands are similarly unaware of this.

My complaints about this company are as follows:

- Where's the obviously visible signage?

- Why the ludicrously small payment window?

- Why are the fines 2500% (minum being 1350%) higher than the toll fee?

This type of deadline combined with inadequate signage  is obviously there for one reason only - 

to synically extract money from those they rely on to be blisfully unaware. This speaks for itself 

when you consider their increase in revenue. According to their March 2023 accounts, they took in a stagering £33.8M compared to £19.7M in the March 2022 accounts - a 58% increase (BTW,  traffic flow was only 11.7% greater between the two periods). In my personal view - and it would appear that of others from what I see around the internet - this is tantamount to a legalised scam. It certainly feels like one.

A petition to government about this outfit was rejected because conveniently, TT2 is not operated by a government agency. HMG suggested petitioning the local council, but given you must reside in the council district to validly do so and that the tunnel isn't just used by locals renders this pointless, even if they were able to do anything, which from what I've read on the council website looks highly unlikely.

So, where do you go on this to pursue the matter? Since 2015 we no longer have an Office of Fair Trading. FCA? Financial Ombudsman? Class action?

Anyone have any ideas?

la531983

They dont look little to me...

screech_78

Why is it unreasonable to pay online by midnight the next day when you were expecting to pay on the day? 

A quick google shows the signs are pretty large. 

Financial Ombudsman only deal with regulated companies. Class actions don’t happen in the UK.

I’d suggest paying it and accepting your mistake.

Polfers

That's because its been deliberately photgraphed close up with a wide angle lens to make it appear large - look at the distance from the carriegeway.

eskbanker

Polfers said:

There are no signs above the carriegway or over the tunnel entrance in either direction indicating there is a toll and how to pay it. TT2 claimed when I called them, that this is because it distracts motorists (doesn't seem to distract motorists with motorway signage). It transpires there are little blue signs with white writing off to the side of the road (which means you'd have to be distracted to see them), that just say "Tyne Tunnell Toll - Pay online by midnight tomorrow". It's clear thousands are similarly unaware of this.

There's no obligation for the signs to be above the carriageway?  The ones that are prominently positioned beside the carriageway (like most other road signs) are perfectly visible, or at least were the last time I went through earlier this year.

A spokesperson for TT2, which operates the Tyne Tunnel, said: "We are sorry to hear of Mr Townsend's distress at receiving a UTCN. The signs informing drivers that the Tyne Tunnels are toll roads and that they must pay by midnight tomorrow are plentiful - there are 18 signs heading northbound and 16 signs heading southbound.

"We made it our priority to install the maximum number of signs in the most effective manner that was safe and possible – and we have enhanced this further by also using large digital advertising screens at the entrances to each of the tunnels to display the toll road messages.

"UTCN fees are designed to cover the cost of toll recovery for those who do not pay on time. Circa 97% of customers do pay their toll on time. The toll pays for the operation and maintenance of both vehicle tunnels and the re-payment for the build cost of the second Tyne Tunnel."

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/commuter-calls-clearer-signs-explaining-28073065

Ergates

A19 - Google Maps

Still seems pretty visible when photographed from the road.

"Pay your Toll" is the first thing you see when you google Tyne Tunnel 2, and it's very prominent on the home page.

Homepage - Tyne Tunnel 2

Smith2001uk

its very odd, my wife called me about year ago after travelling through it telling me she's seen a sign to pay by midnight and can i just go on the website right then and pay it. which i did. 

it operates the same type system as the Dartford crossing.

i'd also like to point out that my wife rarely see's signs properly and has many a times had to go to the next junction and turn back or wait for google to reroute. 

I do however wish you well in your endeavour as i do think the time to pay is far too short.

Ergates

Smith2001uk said:

I do however wish you well in your endeavour as i do think the time to pay is far too short.

It's an entire day plus the remainder of the current day.  So between 24 and 48 hours.

Smith2001uk

Ergates said:

Smith2001uk said:

I do however wish you well in your endeavour as i do think the time to pay is far too short.

It's an entire day plus the remainder of the current day.  So between 24 and 48 hours.

Oh i do understand that and did the maths but i still think it should be around 7 days. I've been stung on the dartford crossing when going to Brighton and went straight into seeing friends mode and forgot. however i did remember the Monday and called, thankfully first time i was let off with just the fee.

la531983

Smith2001uk said:

its very odd, my wife called me about year ago after travelling through it telling me she's seen a sign to pay by midnight and can i just go on the website right then and pay it. which i did. 

it operates the same type system as the Dartford crossing.

i'd also like to point out that my wife rarely see's signs properly and has many a times had to go to the next junction and turn back or wait for google to reroute. 

I do however wish you well in your endeavour as i do think the time to pay is far too short.

In the old days you had to pay there and then....

sheramber

Smith2001uk said:

Ergates said:

Smith2001uk said:

I do however wish you well in your endeavour as i do think the time to pay is far too short.

It's an entire day plus the remainder of the current day.  So between 24 and 48 hours.

Oh i do understand that and did the maths but i still think it should be around 7 days. I've been stung on the dartford crossing when going to Brighton and went straight into seeing friends mode and forgot. however i did remember the Monday and called, thankfully first time i was let off with just the fee.

Why 7 days?

You think 7 days reasonable but somebody else may not agree with you and want 10 or 14 days