The floodgates may be about to open for a number of appeals regarding payment of the Mersey Gateway Bridge toll, says transport solicitors Backhouse Jones, after the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT) recently ruled that the tolls may not be legally binding.
The Council rejects the findings and plans to rigorously dispute the decision.
The Bridge opened in October 2017 and single tolls vary from £2 for a car, to £8 for a coach.
The TPT ruled that a motorist, who appealed two fines, was not liable to pay the charge. It ruled that Halton Borough Council had not been specific about the price of the toll and had not stipulated the sum in the Mersey Gateway Road User Charging Scheme Order 2017.
It had also failed to publish a notice in at least one newspaper circulating in Halton, a procedural requirement.
The TPT ruled that as a result, the toll does not comply with the Transport Act 2000 and the two fines were quashed.
The council argues that the Order is legally sound and urges drivers to continue to pay the tolls.
Despite this, it is likely that the Order will be updated to make charges clearer.
It is also now being claimed that the Council failed to give correct notice of charges on the £600m Runcorn-Widnes crossing as well.
The TPT is conducting a case review on 8 May 2018 and in anticipation of this, has put 456 appeals on hold pending the outcome.
