New toll scheme could face delays

Tamar Bridge carries about 50,000 vehicles a day

Plans to collect tolls electronically on a road bridge and ferry between Devon and Cornwall could be delayed.

Response from potential contractors to do the work has been poor.

Members of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee will be told on Friday only four contractors have expressed interest in the project.

The £1.8m "tag" scheme is being proposed to replace the 15-year-old system of discount vouchers for frequent users of the service.

Revised schedule

The committee is proposing to introduce electronic toll collection at the bridge and ferry and at the same time upgrade the booth area on which the new equipment will be mounted.

At a meeting in January members endorsed the plans and approved a budget for the proposed scheme.

On Friday, committee members will be told that, in view of the poor response from contractors, the project team will now review their strategy and a revised schedule of when work could begin on the tolling system will be given.

It had been hoped the new collection method for the Torpoint Ferry and Tamar Bridge would have been in place by early 2006.

The electronic method would involve the fitting of small transmitters, or tags, in cars. Roadside equipment would detect the tags and trigger a debit from a pre-paid account.

Tamar Bridge, which opened in 1961, carries about 50,000 vehicles a day.