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People are being offered the opportunity to object to a planned rise in the cost of crossing into Devon or Cornwall.

In March, the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee formally submitted an application to the Department for Transport to increase tolls on the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry to ensure the sustainable future of the crossings.

The committee said that the rise is the first in nine years.

Under the proposals, which were supported by both Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council, people using the electronic pre-paid TamarTag (which represent 60% of our crossings) would see the car toll rise from 75p to £1.00.

The toll would rise from £1.50 to £2 for a cash crossing for a car, and other toll charges would see the same 33% increase.

A spokesperson wrote: “Toll prices on the bridge and the ferry, which are jointly owned by Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council, have not risen since 2010 and the service is already running at a loss.

“Operated together as a single business, the crossings receive no financial subsidy from either of the two councils or from central government.

“This means that unlike some other estuarial crossings in other parts of the country, the service is entirely self-financed through the tolls charged which pay for the operation, maintenance and improvement of both crossings.”

The committee added that, without additional income, the service will not be sustainable due to inflation, increase of maintenance costs and the funding of improvement projects.

Under the terms of the Tamar Bridge Act, any changes to tolls must be approved by the Secretary of State for Transport before they can be implemented.

Following today's publication of the proposal, anyone with a substantial interest may object to the proposal by writing to the Secretary of State for Transport within 42 days.

The detailed toll revision application will be available for inspection at both the Tamar Bridge Office and the Torpoint Ferry Office during normal working hours, and also on the committee’s website.

General manager David List said: “We recognise that any toll increase is unwelcome and the Joint Committee has deferred increasing toll charges for as long as possible.

"However, with the service now operating at a deficit, and with ever-increasing maintenance costs, it is not possible to keep operating, maintaining and improving the bridge and ferries without this extra income.

"We have tried to keep the increase as low as possible while still ensuring the quality and sustainability of the service into the future and even with the increase both crossings would still remain amongst the cheapest self-financed tolled crossings in the UK."