Tyne Tunnel toll: Drivers face price rise from February

Prices are recommended to rise in February 2023 but that could be delayed by three months

The Tyne Tunnel toll looks set to rise by at least 30p, councillors have been warned.

A report to North East transport bosses suggests increasing the prices from February 2023 to cover the costs of escalating inflation.

The cost of taking a car through the crossing could rise from £1.90 to £2.20, while the price for HGVs could go up from £3.90 to £4.40.

Members of five councils who manage the tunnel will make a decision next week.

The report prepared for the North East Joint Transport Committee's (JTC) Tyne and Wear sub-committee admitted a rise would be "unwelcome news" but costs were on the increase.

It said the hike could be put off until May when a new HGV toll comes into force to avoid causing extra financial hardship for struggling drivers, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Delaying the rise for three months would take £1.5m from the tunnel's cash reserves but freezing the toll beyond May would reduce coffers to "an unacceptable level", the report said.

Motorists who pay their Tyne Tunnel fees using a pre-paid account would still get a 10% discount under the new proposed levels.

If approved by the committee on Thursday, it would be the first toll rise since April 2021.

A spokesperson for Transport North East said: "We know that any toll increase will be unwelcome news, but the committee will carefully consider all available options before reaching a decision."

The introduction of a new payment system in November 2021 sparked thousands of complaints with drivers claiming they were wrongly fined.