PM: Decision on bridge tolls rise soon

GORDON Brown has pledged the Government will look at all aspects of the case against raising the Humber Bridge tolls.

The Prime Minister said his new Transport Secretary Lord Adonis would make a decision as soon as possible.

There have been fears that the decision to allow the cost of a single journey to rise from £2.70 to £2.90 would be rubber-stamped by new transport secretary Lord Adonis.

But the Prime Minister told the Telegraph: "I think I can assure you that the Department for Transport and the new transport minister, Andrew Adonis, are considering all aspects of the independent inspector's report following the inquiry.

"The decision on the board's application for a toll increase will be made as soon as possible.

"It is up to Lord Adonis now to make an announcement."

Humber Toll Action chairwoman Jenny Walton welcomed the Prime Minister's comments.

"If they are going to take into account all aspects, I do hope they will take into account what all the witnesses had to say on tolls being abolished and the debt wiped out," she said.

"Having a toll of any sort is prohibitive to anything we want to do."

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