THOUSANDS of patients travelling across the Humber Bridge for hospital treatment will no longer have to pay tolls, council leaders have pledged.
When the plans are officially approved they will mark a major victory for campaigners who have backed the Grimsby Telegraph's Axe The Toll On Health campaign over the past ten years.
When the plans are officially approved they will mark a major victory for campaigners who have backed the Grimsby Telegraph's Axe The Toll On Health campaign over the past ten years.
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| Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, councillor Chris Shaw celebrates as thousands of patients travelling across the Humber Bridge for hospital treatment will no longer have to pay tolls |
During the past 12 months, a total of 8,606 people have travelled from North East Lincolnshire to Hull's hospitals for in-patient treatment and 33,719 have made the journey across the bridge as outpatients.
Following a meeting of the leaders of the four local authorities on the Humber to discuss the Government's offer to reduce the Humber Bridge debt, it was agreed that scrapping tolls for hospital patients will be the first priority.
The four authorities – North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and Hull City Council – have also now agreed to take an equal share of the debt – paving the way for halving of bridge tolls to go ahead.
As reported, transport ministers announced that if each of the four authorities took on a 25 per cent share of the bridge debt, then it would be reduced from £332 million to £182 million, allowing tolls for cars to be reduced from £3 to £1.50.
However, Councillor Chris Shaw, leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, initially opposed the plans, pushing for the split to be based on population.
However, it was announced yesterday that he has agreed to an equal split – meaning a new Humber Bridge Board made up of representatives from each of the four authorities can now be convened.
And Mr Shaw is confident that the new board will be in place from April 1, when he says the toll for hospital patients will be scrapped.
He said: "The leaders of the four local authorities met on Thursday and it has since been agreed that the debt will be split equally.
"The Government, basically, said that if we didn't split it equally then there wouldn't be any funding to help us in the future and I am now satisfied with the assurances I have been given that the likelihood of ever having to fund any shortfall is limited.
"The crucial thing for me was that we succeeded in getting all four leaders to agree that the new board will approve free crossings for people attending hospital appointments in Hull.
"I am delighted we are all in agreement that this matter will be given urgent consideration."
Recovering cancer patient Jenny Walton, of Kirmington, launched the Humber Action Against Tolls campaign ten years ago and has also supported the Telegraph's Axe The Toll On Health and Toll Too Far campaigns.
As reported, Jenny has suffered seven bouts of cancer over the last 12 years and has now been free of the disease for two years, but still attends regular appointments and has recently undergone surgery at Castle Hill.
She said: "I must have spent hundreds of pounds travelling over the bridge, sometimes fives days in one week, for treatment. The bridge tolls are a cost that people who are undergoing treatment for very serious conditions could well do with out.
"It is tremendous news that the new board will be scrapping tolls for patients and I am glad that ten years of tireless campaign by a great number of people has led to this point."
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