PLANS to raise Mersey Tunnel tolls by 10p to £1.80 will be reviewed by Merseytravel's Transport Committee next week.

The proposed cash hike comes just days after Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram revealed his plans for a cheaper off-peak £1 toll for Fast tag users.

As part of his manifesto, the introduction of the £1 fast tag would fulfil one of Mr Rotheram's pledges.

The new discount for off-peak travellers would apply between 7pm and 7am Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday.

Other ideas to be considered at the meeting include continuing to provide free travel through the tunnels for emergency service vehicles and free travel for all users between 10pm on December 24 and 6am on December 26.

After recommendations are made, they will then be considered by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, who is responsible for setting the tunnel tolls, at its budget meeting on Friday, February 2.

If these plans go ahead, the new tolls would come into effect from Sunday, April 1, 2018.

Chief executive of Merseytravel Frank Rogers said: "As always, it is for political members to take a decision on the tunnel toll levels.

"However, reflecting on the past year, it is encouraging to see more than half of the people using the tunnel taking advantage of the benefits that a Fast Tag can bring.

"If the proposed changes are approved, it will give those people even further increased savings when travelling, especially during off-peak times."

On Tuesday, Mr Rotheram said: "I fully understand that no-one likes paying tolls, so I have put forward proposals designed to reduce costs for regular and local users of the Mersey Tunnels.

"By freezing the fast tag and introducing the £1 off-peak, we are striving to make cross-river travel as affordable and convenient as possible.

“Encouraging more people to travel off-peak will also help to reduce congestion and improve air quality by reducing the number of queuing vehicles.

“A review and refresh of tunnel operations is under way, which amongst other things, will look at the introduction of contactless payment and new technology.

"As part of that process I would want to look at ways in which we can make it as easy as possible for people to use the cheapest payment option.”

However, Mr Rotheram has come under fire by opposition groups including the Mersey Tunnels Users Association.

John McGoldrick from Scrap Mersey tolls and the Tunnels Users Association said: "Instead of stopping the profits, by the time that the City Region election took place last May, that promise had been watered down so that Steve Rotheram's election address only said that he would reduce the fast-tag tunnel fare to £1.

"Now even that has been further watered down so that it is only Fast tag tolls at night and on Sundays that may be reduced.

"There are even suggestions that the cash toll for cars of £1.70 may be increased in April.

"Tolls are a blight on our region.

"As the Metro Mayor put it in his election address - 'We are the only City Region in Europe where in the future all cross-river traffic movements will be subject to expensive tolls'.

"We agree with what he said then and we urge everyone to lobby Steve Rotheram and other local politicians to try and get all the Mersey tolls scrapped."