Why are tolls still being charged?
It was clear back in 1969 that the council could not afford to build the bridge unless there was some return from the investment. Councillor Reynard stated that the decision to build a "toll bridge" has not been taken lightly.
The tolls are not in place solely to pay for the construction and maintenance of the bridge. They were introduced because the building of such a bridge would increase the volumes of private and commercial traffic from all over the region, particularly during peak times.
The approach roads to the bridge (especially on the eastern side of the river) are not laid out to accommodate such volumes of traffic, so it would therefore be detrimental to the environmental quality of the residential area to the east, and to the historic and quieter southern sector of the city centre to the west. Also the increased congestion will prejudice the convenient use of the bridge by the local people it was primarily intended to assist.
The tolls are significantly higher for commercial vehicles to deter them from using the bridge as a convenient short cut across the city and instead use the longer route around the city.
Southampton City Council were the first British local authority to impose road pricing regulations to control traffic.Last updated: 23 October 2006
