Tolls
Under the Whitchurch Bridge Act 1792 and the
Whitchurch Bridge Act 1988, the
Whitchurch Bridge Company is empowered to collect Tolls at any time to finance
its operations. However, Tolls are normally collected only from 7am until
9pm on weekdays, 8am to 8pm on Saturdays, and 9am to 8pm on Sundays. Tolls are collected at the Toll Booth at the Whitchurch-on-Thames (north) end of
the Bridge.
Tolls may be paid in cash, or through one of the Company's concessionary prepayment systems which offer substantial discounts to Bridge users based on Bridge Cards (for vehicles not exceeding 3.5 tonnes mgw) and books of prepaid tickets (for vehicles exceeding 3.5 tonnes mgw).
Details of the Toll payment systems are shown below. Click here for FAQ's.
Cash Tolls (revised 26th October 2009)
The cash Tolls are:
| Class | Description | Cash Toll |
| Class 1 | Vehicles not exceeding 3.5 tonnes mgw | 40p |
| Class 2 | Vehicles exceeding 3.5 tonnes mgw, up to 7.5 tonnes mgw | £3 |
There is no charge for pedestrians, cycles or motorcycles. There is a statutory weight limit of 7.5 tonnes mgw on the Bridge.
Regulation of Cash Tolls (revised 26th October 2009)
The Company’s Tolls are regulated under the Transport Charges etc (Miscellaneous
Provisions) Act 1954. Tolls may only be increased when permission has been
applied for by the Company by means of a Toll Application, and approval given by
the Secretary of State for Transport in the form of a Department for Transport
Toll Order.
The current Tolls were sought by the Company in its Toll Application dated 31st October 2008. The Secretary of State for Transport ordered a Public Inquiry into this Toll Application which was held on 2nd/3rd June 2009. The findings of the Public Inquiry were reported to the Secretary of State in the Inspector's Report (this copy supplied to us excludes the Appendices). The Secretary of State subsequently issued a Decision Letter dated 12th October 2009 approving the increase in regulated Tolls sought by the Company and issued a Department of Transport Toll Order No. 2729 dated 12th October 2009. The Company implemented the current Tolls on Monday 26th October 2009.
Concessionary Tolls (revised 1st
November 2012)
The Company offers concessionary discounted Tolls for all Bridge users as
follows:
A. Class 1 users (ie vehicles not exceeding 3.5 tonnes mgw)
Concessionary Tolls are offered through Bridge Cards. Users of Bridge Cards enjoy a discounted Toll rate of 20p until 3rd October 2013 (when the Bridge closes for reconstruction), and 29.4p from 14th April 2014 (when the Bridge re-opens after reconstruction) - see below for more details.
The Company's Frequent User Scheme is now closed to new applications until the Bridge re-opens after reconstruction on 14th April 2014.
Details of the Concessionary Tolls for Class 1 users until 3rd October 2013 are as follows:
| Description | Cost |
|
Initial Purchase of a Bridge Card Pack (at the Toll Booth)
subject to availability, see below Includes £10 (returnable) deposit for your Bridge Card, plus £10 credit for crossings at the discounted rate applicable at the time of purchase. At the current discounted rate of 20p, £10 gives you 50 crossings. |
£20 |
|
Bridge Card Top-up (at the Toll Booth) Adds £10 credit to your Bridge Card Account for crossings at the discounted rate applicable at the time of purchase. At the current discounted rate of 20p, £10 gives you 50 crossings. You may top-up only when your "uses remaining" is 50 or less, and only do one top-up at a time. |
£10 |
|
Frequent User Scheme suspended until 2014 Allows unlimited use of your Bridge Card. Monthly payments must be made by bankers standing order. Click here for details and an Application Form. |
Click here for FAQ's.
B. Class 2 users (ie vehicles exceeding 3.5 tonnes mgw, up to 7.5 tonnes mgw)
A concessionary Toll of £1.50 is available to Class 2 users through the purchase of books of 20 prepaid tickets for £30 from the Toll Collector.
Regulation of Concessionary Tolls
Concessionary rates and discounts
are unregulated and the Company is under no obligation to offer concessionary
rates, discounts or free crossings to any users. However, the Company has given an
Undertaking that the concessionary Toll for
users of Bridge Cards will not exceed 20p before 1st January 2013,
and will not exceed 30p thereafter unless and until another Toll Application is
approved.
Free crossings for Disabled Drivers
The Company allows free crossings
for disabled drivers who are in possession of a valid Vehicle Tax Exemption
Certificate (Forms DLA404 or WPA442) for their own vehicle, or who use a vehicle
provided under the Motability scheme. To take advantage of this concession,
disabled drivers need to pre-register with the Company using the Disabled Driver
Registration Form which may be downloaded here
or obtained on request from the Toll Collectors.
The Company reserves the right to restrict this concession to disabled drivers with a local address who need to use the Bridge on a regular basis.
Free crossings for Emergency Vehicles
The Company allows free crossings
for liveried fire appliances, police vehicles and ambulances. Any liveried
ambulance with "ambulance" signage will be allowed a free crossing,
including non-emergency ambulances.
Free crossings are also allowed for Community Responders wearing their yellow ambulance jackets in a vehicle displaying a "Community Responder attending 999 Call" sign.
Bridge Cards and the closure of the Bridge for Reconstruction (added 4th June 2013)
The Bridge will close for reconstruction in October 2013 and the following actions are being taken on Bridge Cards:
1 Our stock of Bridge Cards is exhausted, and we will not be purchasing any more until the Bridge re-opens in April 2014. We have sold 11,000 Bridge Cards since they were introduced in 2006: of these, 3,800 (34 %) have not been used in the last 12 months and are presumed lost. We ask that past purchasers of Bridge Cards seek out any lost Bridge Cards and return them to us: we will refund the Bridge Card deposit and any unused crossings. If you wish to go on a waiting list for a returned Bridge Card, please hand the Toll Collector a note with your name and contact details (ie telephone or email).
2 When the Bridge re-opens in April 2014 the discounted Toll for Bridge Card users will increase from 20p to 29.4 p.
3 To encourage Bridge Card users to retain their Bridge Cards safely while the Bridge is closed for reconstruction, we will allow Bridge Cards to be pre-loaded with crossings at 20p. The flier below is being handed out with all Bridge Card top-up receipts:
|
WHITCHURCH BRIDGE COMPANY Your Bridge Card We wish to encourage you to retain your Bridge Card safely while the Bridge is closed for reconstruction.
1. As from 4th June 2013 and until the Bridge closes in October 2013, you may top-up when you have 50 (not 40) or less crossings remaining. 2. Until the Bridge closes in October 2013, the cost of a pre-paid crossing will remain at 20p. You will continue to get 50 crossings for a £10 top-up. 3. When the Bridge reopens in April 2014, the cost of a pre-paid crossing will increase to 29.4p. You will get 34 crossings for a £10 top-up. 4. All crossings bought at 20p before the Bridge closes will be accepted after the Bridge reopens. 5. No top-ups, refunds, or Bridge Card purchases will be possible while the Bridge is closed.
Geoff Weir Company Secretary
The Company of Proprietors of Whitchurch Bridge Registered in England and Wales No. ZC000184 Registered Office: The Toll House, Whitchurch Bridge, Pangbourne, Reading RG8 7DF
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Click here for FAQ's.