Tolls on an iconic UK bridge could rise by 50%, the first increase in a decade. The trust that runs Bristol's Clifton Suspension Bridge says it will be necessary to raise the current toll from £1 per crossing to £1.50 due to various factors, including maintenance costs, health and safety requirements, upticks in inflation, and wage increases.
It also cites climate change as a reason for the potential price hike, noting its impact on how the 160-year-old structure deals with stronger winds. The costs of staff working on the site, maintenance and upkeep are covered by tolls, with The Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust saying it doesn't get any public money from any level of Government or other public body.
The organisation has launched a public consultation on the proposed price increase.
The bridge master, Trish Johnson, says Clifton Suspension Bridge "is an iconic Grade I-listed structure carrying three million vehicles a year while also being 75 metres above a river".
"It requires regular maintenance and inspections as well as the 25-yearly major refurbishment project of repainting the bridge chains and replacing the lights," she added.
"Given the bridge receives no public money, the costs of this essential work need to be funded from the tolls.
"We believe that the toll needs to be increased to ensure the continued operation and maintenance of the bridge but we want to hear what our community thinks - those who regularly use the bridge as well as those who just use it occasionally - and also what our other stakeholders think, before we submit our application to the Department for Transport."
The proposal also includes a smaller yearly increase in the toll price, which would be linked to inflation, in the future.
The bridge is free for pedestrians and cyclists to use and there are no proposals to change this, the trust confirmed, as per PA.
The toll was previously raised from 50p to £1 in April 2014, following a public inquiry held by the Department for Transport.
Chris Booy, chairman of trustees, said: "We need to increase the toll and put plans in place to ensure that we have sufficient funds to secure the future of the bridge.
"Regularly reapplying to the Department for Transport for changes to the toll is expensive in terms of costs and time. We know this money would be better spent on our core operations.
"Putting in place the ability to increase the toll annually, in line with inflation, will mean that costs and revenues will remain broadly in line with each other by linking future toll increases to increases in construction costs."
The consultation will run from today (Thursday, September 25) until November 7.
Clifton Suspension Bridge is among the UK's best-known and was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who is responsible for numerous celebrated structures across Britain, including Paddington Station in London.
