Tolls in UK

[surveyor]

In the UK we have a handful of tolls. Severn Crossing, Tyne Tunnel, Humber Bridge, Dartford Crossing, Liverpool Tunnels spring to mind.

How many decades do you think it will take for us to end up on a system where one tag will do all, much in the way that the French tolls can work with any tag?

[Motorrad]

The same time they make you pay as you go to use the rest of the road network. In the next decade for certain. fking robbing aholes.

[krisdelta]

At least a decade, if ever I would guess. I wonder what the cross over usage is? E.g. Average user of Dartford, how many times would they use M6 toll or Severn bridge in the next year?

It would take some serious investment and buy-in from several businesses (as the owners of the underlying assets being "tolled" are different I believe) to all see the value in a one-tag-for-all.

As an example, look at the railways. I have a paper card for SWT as a season ticket, which I have to slot into a gate mechanism, yet TFL uses oyster. Now part of my ticket is zones 1-6, but this is in paper form, despite it being a million times easier to load it on an Oyster, they dont / can't. No crossover between the systems and probably no real reason to change.

[Beer Man]

All operated by different companies so, at a guess. Never.

[dapearson]

Don't forget the Shadow Tolls - privately financed roads (PFI) paid for by the taxpayer based on usage. The A1(M) between Peterborough and Alconbury being an example.

Edit: Oh i see. You're talking about toll booths. I'll get me coat...

[surveyor]

It can't be impossible. The French manage it.

Perhaps we should sell the infrastructure to them, if we have not already.

[Bluebarge]

Beer Man said:

All operated by different companies so, at a guess. Never.

Same as the French autoroutes - they all have different tags and they all work on each others' networks - they just share the revenue. It can't be hard to work out where a car spent time on your network when it has to pass regular toll tag readers.