What Will Be The Total Cost Of Crossing The Bridges For Halton Residents?
All eligible residents of Halton will be able to cross the bridges for free. However, they will have to register for a local discount plan and pay a £10 amount for their yearly administration charge.
What Qualifies or Disqualifies My Eligibility as A Resident of Halton?
Most of the residents qualify to be given the resident user discount plan. However, you need to show that you are an eligible resident by meeting the following criteria:
- You should either be:
- Have registered with Halton town’s Borough Council as dwelling in a property that is within Halton, and has a Tax Band of A to F.
- Listed with the Borough Council of Halton as being resident within a property that is under the tax band of G and H, and have fruitfully applied to the council to be involved in the dwellers’ deduction scheme due to economic challenges or any other special conditions.
- Owning valid and updated UK drivers’ licenses and driving a vehicle or a small van (motorcycles will be allowed to travel at no charges).
- Listed as a keeper of the car, as per the DVLA listed in Halton. Other substantial evidence is that you should be exclusively responsible. This is a requirement for leased cars or business vehicles.
*If you reside within Halton and do not qualify for the discount plan, you might be eligible to get help via the economic hardship scheme.
*Small vans are those that weigh 3.5 tons or less. Call them for detailed classifications of cars.
What Determined The Taxation Eligibility Conditions?
The scheme’s eligibility is based on the residents’ social-economic levels. This was agreed upon as a section of the Public Inquiry, carried out in 2009.
It has been referenced in Part 5, Section 42 (12) of the Transport and Works Act Order- 2011. It bestows legal consequences to a number of issues with respect to the Mersey Gateway.
It says that: “Where any scheme of deductions or waivers is suggested in respect of tolls owed or prospectively billed under this Order, the undertaker shall decide whether to embrace or apply such scheme with regards to the most suitable way of giving the benefits to those in the socio-economic groups within the Borough of Halton, who are least able to meet the expense of the full price of the fees.”
Going with legal advice, the Council considered the Council Tax Groups, which are proven in their ability to determine a family’s wealth best.
What Is The Process Of Registering For An Account?
The fastest way to register will be via the Mersey Gateway website
You can also call us on 0843 455 2364 or present yourself personally to our physical offices.
The registration will be open at 8AM, on the 17th of July.
Which Documents Are Needed For Registration?
There are three files that are needed for the successful application of a discount plan for locals.
You have to ensure that all your documents have the same address. The most vital documents are:
- Your valid drivers’ license
- A copy of your tax bill (you can call on 0843 455 2364 and they will help you get one)
- A valid registration file for your car ( this is the green and red V5C form)
If applying online, please scan or take clear photos of the documents required.
If applying personally at our center, bring all these documents with you.
What Is The Maximum Number Of Cars That I Can Register?
For a local user discount plan, only one vehicle is allowed for each individual.
If several eligible residents share an address, each is required to register for their own vehicles.
Must I Register?
If you are a resident, it is recommended that you register. All the same, it is not compulsory for you to do so.
You will still manage to drive across the bridges, even though you will have to pay the total amount (£2) for every single trip.
No discounts will be given for unregistered vehicles.
What If I Choose Not To Register?
You will be obliged to pay the full amount for unregistered tolls – £2 for each trip (for cars or small vans) – with every crossing you make.
Or you will get a fine for crossing the Mersey gateway bridge or the Silver Jubilee bridge
What Is The Cost Of Registering?
Halton dwellers will pay £10 in annual administrative fees. This amount is going to cover the total price of registration.
There is also a planned discount only given to the locals of Halton.
Are Taxis And Driving Helpers’ Cars Encompassed In The Local User Deductions?
If they both are satisfactorily under the local user discount plan, then yes they do qualify, but only for their personal travels.
Every business trip made by them, however, must be paid for on its own.
Do I Need To Register Again If I Move From My House Or Change My Car?
Yes, you will have to register afresh if you moved. Also, you need to let us know if this happens. You are also required to give us the new document to show proof and pay a £10 administrative charge.
After the new registration, the license is going to be valid for a whole year.
I Cross The River Using Local Buses. Will My Bus Ticket Cost More As A Result Of The Toll Fees?
It will not go up. The bus services will not be charged to go across the Silver Jubilee Bridge*. The Halton Council is encouraging more and more people to use public transport more frequently.
*While the Silver Jubilee Bridge will remain closed for up to a year for renovation- from fall 2017- local buses will be allowed to travel for free through the new Mersey Gateway Bridge.
I’m Not Aware of Halton’s Hardship System. How Is It Applied?
The Council of Halton Borough is aware of residents who live in houses within the town, and are in Council Tax group G or above. This means that they are on low-slung earnings.
To bring down chances of any potential adversity, the council has created a scheme for such residents whose Household Income* is under the Benefits Cap**.
This plan will see these residents apply to have unpaid use of the bridges, same as those qualified for Local User Discount Plan.
Those who want to be included in this plan should, however, be ready to prove that they:
- Are residents of a household inside Halton where the entire household income* does go below the level of the Benefits Cap**.
- Are holders of legal and up-to-date UK drivers licenses and drive a car/ small van.
- They are the owners or keepers of the vehicles they drive, as per the DVLA of the listed vehicle. Corresponding proof that you are the keeper of the car on a limited basis will be necessary for leased and/ or company vehicles.
*Household Income will be established by the meaning used by Student Finance England to evaluate household incomes.
**The Benefit Cap is demarcated at https://www.gov.uk/benefit-cap/benefit-cap-amounts.
How do I check the tax group I belong to?
Visit the official government website: https://www.gov.uk/council-tax-bands to establish which category you fall under.
Only Halton residents are eligible for this tax grouping exemption.
What Should I Do If Someone Steals My Windscreen Sticker?
It will not work for the person who steals it, so there’s no big reason to worry. The system has a way of preventing that kind of fraud.
This system functions with the help of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. It will make sure that the sticker corresponds with the vehicle registered only to it.
In Case Of Loss Or Damage, Am I The One To Pay For A Sticker Replacement?
If the sticker provided is at fault, then you will get another one at no extra charge.
However, in case of theft, damage or loss, a £5 charge will be applied.
My Partner And I Have Registered Our Cars For The Local User Discount Plan As We Are Separately Registered Keepers. Is It Possible For Either Of Us To Drive Either Car After We Have Successfully Registered?
As long as you are both eligible for the discount plan, either of you can drive either vehicle.
My Partner And I Both Reside In Halton. Both Of Our Cars Are Registered Under My Partner. Is It Possible To Register Both For The Locals Discount Plan?
Only one car can be under one person’s Local Discount Scheme.
However, you can request a transfer of registration from the DVLA to the other person with eligibility.
This way, you can have the other car registered for the discount program.
Check your vehicle’s details for road tax & M.O.T information.
Will My Old-Style Drivers’ License Be Accepted In My Application?
It is valid and will be enough proof. However, do not forget to provide your tax bill and vehicle’s registration proof.
What Do I Do If I Have Two Cars But The Website Only Allows For The Application Of One? What Options Do I Have?
Only one car is allowed per person under the discount program.
We advise that you register the automobile that you use most to cross the bridges.
However, to list a second car, it would be under these plans:
A pre-pay sticker account will enable you to save 10% on each journey and you also get a sticker for your windscreen.
A pre-pay video account will save you 5% for each trip, without getting a windscreen sticker.
If I Change My Car, But Not My Registration Number Plate, Will I Still Pay The £10 Registration Fee Yet Again?
Yes, you will. This will be to cater to adjusting the new car details and switching the sticker.
If I Registered For My Locals Discount Plan Now, Will My One Year Countdown Start When The Bridge Opens Or From This Very Instance?
The countdown will begin once the bridge is open.
I’m A Local of Halton and Would Want to Register My Vehicle, But I’ve Leased out the Car. I Therefore Don’t Have the V5C Form, I’m I Still Eligible?
You are. You only need to provide proof of the car lease. It must bear your details- address and name, as well as the car registration.
The car lease must indicate clearly the start and end dates of the agreement. This will help us know when you are in possession of the car once more.
I Live In Halton and I’m Completely Eligible for the Locals Discount Scheme. However, I use A Company Car, So I Do Not Have the V5C Form. Is It Possible For Me To Apply?
You can apply if you are positive you meet all the required criteria.
As you apply, give us a copy of a letter with the company’s letterhead containing:
- Company’s name
- Company’s address
- Your names
- Corroboration that you use the company vehicle for your own needs and that you keep it at your address
I Am A Resident Registered For The Locals Discount Plan. How Would I Assert And Pay For Business Crossings I Make?
Go physically to our center and pinpoint the trips that were business-related and pay £1.80 for them at the reduced sticker charge.
You can also call them on 01928 878 878 and ask for this to be done.
I’m A Resident of Halton, but Do Not Own a Registered UK Driving License. Am I Still Eligible For the Locals Discount Scheme?
You are qualified. In place of the drivers’ license, give another supportive document such as a utility bill within the past 3 months.
My Tax Bill Is in My Companion’s Name – Can I Still Register My Vehicle for the Local User Discount Plan?
As long as you are eligible and your address is the same as all the other documents, you can still apply. You should also ensure that your car’s V5C form and driving license are both in your name.
Do you have a query that you would like handled personally? Give us a call on 0843 455 2364 and they will assist you to get what you want.