Tolls that have to be paid online

[Fianceechickie]

We live nearish the new Mersey bridge in Runcorn. You can't pay there and then, there are no booths and you have to remember to go online and pay when to get home. Is it me, or is that a neat way of money grabbing? Cheap for the operator who doesn't have to put in toll booths and people are bound to forget, being tired, busy, other things to do and they can just fine you then. DH been fined twice in the last few months having forgotten to pay the £2 when he gets home on evenings he's used it. On one occasion he paid for one trip that same day but forgot he'd driven across it again. You can set up an account but there's a £10 fee and £20 minimum top up. I've seen this on roads in Ireland too. I've not used it because I just know i would forget to pay!

[Ubercornsdiscoball]

Dartford crossing is the same. We live in kent and my parent’s live near Speke. We get hit by both tolls!

[Bourdic]

I use Dartford occasionally and set up the automatic payment - I’m really shocked at the Mersey Bridge system - set up fee and minimum top up.Thats dreadful

[minimonkey11]

We set up the account and have only used it twice- we only did that as then we dont really have to think about it. The idea is that the crossing flows rather than people stopping at toll booths. I think a lot of people have been fined.

[user100987]

I used it over Christmas by accident really and was surprised that you had to go online to do it. Admittedly it was fairly straightforward in the end but i did wonder what someone less IT literate would do (I'm not a bit IT literate so that's ridiculous really).

[AlpacaLypse]

Can we just get this straight...? There are unavoidable bills that can only be paid online? So what happens with the people who don't have an online presence?

[UrsulaPandress]

Can't you set up an account!

[minimonkey11]

I think there are paystations in some local shops too- but there have been instances of the payments not working. Essentially you have 24 hrs (or maybe 48hrs? I can’t remember) to pay the toll after you have crossed (£2 each way). If you have an account set up its £1.80

[Fianceechickie]

I think so @AlpacaLypse maybe there's a number you can ring but you'd have to write it down lol how would that work?! You have to go online and pay £2. If you forget (as loads of people do) you have to pay £20 if you lay up quick or £40 if not. I really object. I'm so forgetful and with the busy lives we all have I just think it's so bad they're going to profit from inevitable absent mindedness. Yes we'll have to get an account now. We were hoping not to have to cos we don't use it all the time as we're nearer tunnel but better than paying all these fines. He's waiting for another as thinks used it three times altogether that day as he dropped someone to airport but only paid once!!

[LegallyBrunet]

There's one near me- it's not an online one- but there's no signs for it until it's too late to turn back and suddenly you're being charged 40p for crossing a tiny bridge in the middle of nowhere. I think the Humber Bridge has a minimum top up as well if you use their tag system, my OH uses that one a lot.

[Fianceechickie]

I hadn't thought about people who can't access internet or aren't computer literate even more outraged now!

[LolaTheDarkdestroyer]

We got caught out on bastard dartford had been travelling most of the day knackered and forgot then got a hefty fine.

[AlpacaLypse]

We've just about got AlpacaMum online (age 84 still driving but almost completely deaf and liable to start talking about what happened in Coronation Street at the drop of a hat given half a chance) but I don't think she could manage much more than the sharing of photos on Facebook that she's just about achieving.

[Mummyrowland]

No minimum top up for humber bridge - you buy a 'tag' then can top u

[Mummyrowland]

Sorry top up as little or as much as you want. Dead eaasy

[Jon66]

Same toll system in Portugal for motorways. Don't see any difference to the bridge you are talking about and the LC C. Set up an account. If you can afford to run a car . . .

[LegallyBrunet]

Ah, thanks Mummyrowland I don't actually drive and the OH always tops up the same amount everytime so I guess that's what made me think there's a minimum for the Humber Tag.

[CuboidalSlipshoddy]

I hadn't thought about people who can't access internet or aren't computer literate

And yet are able to own and operate a car to the point of driving over a six-lane bridge on a congested route in and out of a major city? Do such people actually exist?

[halfwitpicker]

What if you're a tourist? Don't speak English? WTAF

[CircleSquareCircleSquare]

There is no way it should be online/phone/off site only. If you are going to charge people to use a service you should (somehow) give them the option to pay there and then. It is putting elderly, disabled and improvrished people at even more of a disadvantage - essentially you need to buy an internet device in order to use a road.

Slightly differently but I like the tags routinely used on toll roads in Australia, they are a great idea.

[Toddlerteaplease]

I've been fined once because I totally forgot I'd been over it. I am not paying £35 to set up an account either. I stayed in b&b and another couple had totally missed all the signs about the tolls and were going to get fined. (I counted 5 signs) I'd far rather have a toll booth. Must say that I love driving over that bridge. It's cut 15 minutes of my journey time.

[CuboidalSlipshoddy]

It is putting elderly, disabled and improvrished people at even more of a disadvantage

Disabled to the point they cannot and do not access the Internet, but not enough to prevent them from driving a car. Could you perhaps give an example?

Impoverished enough to be unable to access the Internet in a major city, and yet able to own and operate a private motorcar which they drive over a toll bridge? Do you think this is common?

essentially you need to buy an internet device in order to use a road.

There was a lot of hand-wringing -from people who wanted to park without paying- when London boroughs introduced mobile-phone only carpark charging (Islington, for example, and Barnet). It turns out to be entirely bad faith: people who operate cars that they own, but do not have access to the Internet, don't exist.

What if you're a tourist? Don't speak English?

Tourists who are either renting a car or have brought their own on a ferry and are driving it in the UK, but have neither a mobile phone nor any sort of computer with them? Do you think that's a common problem? It would be interesting to know how they booked their hire car or bought their plane ticket. Can't speak English to the point of not understanding simple signs, but are driving into central Liverpool? Common scenario, would you say?

I stayed in b&b and another couple had totally missed all the signs about the tolls and were going to get fined. (I counted 5 signs)

If they drove past five signs without seeing them then they shouldn't be on the road.

It's cut 15 minutes of my journey time.

And if you had to queue to pay, it would cut less time off.

[IWouldLikeToKnow]

Just bite the bullet and set up an account. If you're going to be forgetful then it will end up costing you more in fines. Barriered toll roads really slow down traffic so this is the most efficient way to keep traffic flowing if the road is going to be tolled

[AjasLipstick]

Cuboidal Yes! My Mother drives and travels fair distances and she has no internet access and doesn't want any.

She's 70 and watches telly and reads. No mobile either.

It's not the LAW that people have to have internet access.

I suppose if push came to shove, she'd have to go to the library and ask for help to do it there.

[londonrach]

Cuboidal...yes i know loads of people with no internet and drive. I dont have a smart phone preferring my dumb phone and im not that old so cant pay for phone at this car parks now. Stupid!