PROPOSALS to increase the toll on Clifton Suspension Bridge by fifty per cent are out for public consultation.
Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust wants to put up the toll from £1 to £1.50 to meet costs and inflation – protecting the landmark for future generations.
The fee for crossing the bridge was last increased back in 2014 and the trust is looking to introduce smaller annual rises in future.
Chair of trustees Chris Booy 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 trust, which does not receive money from any government or public body, is consulting with the community and users over maintenance of the 160-year-old bridge.
The tolls are used to meet various costs, including employment of the bridgemaster, staff and attendants.
It also has to meet updated health and safety requirements, wage increases, climate change (how the bridge deals with stronger winds) and increased weight of traffic.
The bridge was designed by the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, although he never lived to see his creation finished in 1864.
It was built for light horse drawn traffic but still meets the demands of the 21st century – with thousands of vehicles crossing it every day.
Bridgemaster Trish Johnson said: “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.”
The proposed increase in the toll would cover routine day-to-day running and maintenance costs and provide an adequate emergency reserve fund.
It would also allow the Trust to build up and maintain adequate reserve funds to cover major cyclical maintenance and special projects, particularly the next major painting and lighting refurbishment project in 2049/50.
There are no proposals to charge for cyclists and pedestrians. Regular users of the bridge can continue to use a Bridge Card to cross, which can result in a reduced price per crossing.
The consultation will run until Friday, November 7, before the application is submitted to the Department for Transport.
• For more information, visit the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust website at https://cliftonbridge.org.uk/toll-consultation
• Alternatively, paper copies are available in the Clifton Suspension Bridge Museum and at Bristol Central
• The bridge will be closed to traffic and cyclists for one day during off-peak hours on October 29. Vital monitoring equipment which protects the historic structure from overloading by overweight vehicles is being overhauled, and a new monitoring system installed.
• The trust is holding a free event for the public to explore the history of the bridge’s illuminations from the first display in December 1864 to the new system being installed. This exhibition explores reasons for lighting the bridge – including coronations and jubilees.