UK drivers face 'significant burden' of £1,000 on toll roads amid 'staggering' price hikes

UK drivers face 'significant burden' of £1,000 on toll roads amid 'staggering' price hikes

WATCH: Motorists to see HUGE diesel and petrol price rises

GB NEWS
Hemma Visavadia

By Hemma Visavadia


Published: 26/04/2024

- 15:02

Updated: 29/04/2024

- 08:58

Toll fares have increased by roughly 30p since 2020

Drivers have been warned of the staggering commuter costs which see motorists pay more than £1,000 on toll roads each year.

As the price of fuel continues to skyrocket, drivers who commute into busy cities are forced to pay extra by taking quicker routes which have tolls, like the M6 and Dartford Crossing.


Recent research found that drivers are paying more than £1,000 on the M6 toll in the West Midlands with the daily cost reaching £8.90 per journey.

The expensive cost makes the M6 the most expensive toll road in England, followed by the Tamar Bridge in Plymouth which charges £6.30 for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes.

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M6 toll

Over 50,000 vehicles use the M6 toll route daily

GETTY

The Dartford Crossing, which sits within the M25, was ranked as the third most expensive with commuters paying £2.50 per trip, adding £25 to travel expenses if used every day of the week.

The Tyne Tunnels toll roads in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, charges a similar fare of £2.20 per passage, going up 60p since 2020.

Tom Preston, CEO and founder of Hippo Leasing, said: "Our analysis reveals that ten out of the nineteen toll roads in the UK have raised their prices since 2020.

"On average, commuters now face an additional expense of £129.60 per year to access UK toll roads compared to 2020.

"While the M6 toll experienced the most substantial individual price hike at £2.20 per use, soaring from £6.70 per use in 2020 to £8.90 per use in 2024, the cumulative impact on commuters is staggering.

“For those using it twice daily, five days a week, the toll adds up to a significant annual burden of £1,056, exacerbating the strain of the cost of living crisis."

The Mersey Tunnels in Liverpool cost £2.10 per crossing, a 30p increase since 2020, hitting the wallet of anyone in the north west of England.

Drivers on average pay £1.63 per use of toll roads in the UK, with prices up 29p since the pandemic.

In a bid to save commuters money on travel, Preston suggested researching alternative routes that bypass toll roads as a way to help cut costs.

Another tip includes carpooling with someone else from the office to help split costs between multiple people.

Meanwhile, Preston stated that employers may be able to help with costs through benefits or reimbursement programs for toll road expenses.

The expert urged motorists to plan ahead and take into account alternative toll routes which may require drivers to leave earlier.

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Only two toll roads are found on motorways - the M6 Toll and the M25 Dartford Crossing - while the rest are bridges and tunnels on A roads or minor roads.

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