Clifton Suspension Bridge toll could rise to £1.50

Drivers could face having to pay more to cross the famous bridge

Tolls on Bristol's historic Clifton Suspension Bridge could rise for the first time in a decade.

The Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust has proposed increasing the crossing fee from £1 to £1.50 per crossing because of increases in inflation, maintenance costs and wage increases.

The trust has launched a public consultation into the proposed price increase.

Bridge master Trish Johnson said: "Clifton Suspension Bridge 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."

The 160-year-old structure, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, carries three million vehicles a year.

Ms Johnson added: "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.

"We also want to know what our other stakeholders think, before we submit our application to the Department for Transport (DfT)."

The proposal includes a smaller annual increase in the toll, linked to inflation, in the future.

In April 2014, the toll increased from 50p to £1, following a public inquiry held by the DfT.

Cyclists and pedestrians do not pay to use the bridge and there are no proposals to change this, the bridge trust confirmed.

The consultation, which has already begun, will run until 7 November.