Tolls on the two Severn bridges that link England and Wales are to be scrapped before Christmas, the UK government has announced.

From 17 December there will be no charges for cars and lorries driven between the south-west of England and Monmouthshire.

The move has delighted many commuters and business owners on both sides of the bridges and is expected to cause house prices to rise in some areas. But there has also been concern that it will cause greater congestion, particularly around Bristol and Newport.

The Welsh secretary, Alun Cairns, told the Conservative party conference in Birmingham that the tolls would be abolished two weeks ahead of schedule.

He said scrapping of the tolls would provide an immediate benefit of more than £100m a year for Wales, and more than £1bn of economic benefit over the next decade.

Cairns added: “My number one aim when I became secretary of state for Wales, was to do away with tolling that for half a century has restricted and distorted the growth and connections of the Welsh economy.

“Wales will be more open for business than ever. Scrapping tolls before the festive period is an early Christmas present for hard-working commuters who will be £1,400 per year better off.

“This is just the start of my plan to pursue yet more growth for a stronger and a better-connected Wales. Scrapping the Severn tolls is an example of the Conservatives ensuring that all four nations of the UK thrive after Brexit, in doing so, transforming the joint economic prospects of south Wales and the west of England.”

My #1 aim when I became Secretary of State for Wales was to scrap the Severn Tolls, after over 50 years of charges. Today, I am delighted to announce *toll free, free flow* journeys from 17 December 2018 - UK Government delivering for #Wales pic.twitter.com/7JrDbih2rM — Alun Cairns (@AlunCairns) October 2, 2018

The prime minister, Theresa May, said: “By abolishing tolls for 25m annual journeys between two nations, the Conservatives are sending a positive, open-for-business message.

“Toll-free, free-flow journeys between both communities will drive further economic benefits to all areas surrounding the crossings and the key economic centres in Cardiff, Bath, Bristol, Newport and across to Swansea and west Wales.”

Tolls on the original Severn crossing have been in place since 1966, and introduced on the second crossing, the Prince of Wales Bridge, when it was opened in 1996.

The fee for a car crossing from the south-west of England into south Wales is £5.60 while for a HGV it is £16.70. Drivers travelling in the opposite direction do not pay.

The tolls were reduced on New Year’s Day 2018 after the bridges were handed over to public ownership, but the UK government resisted calls to immediately abolish crossing fees.







