Before introducing the changes to toll charges in April 2025, the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board (MGCB) and Halton Borough Council held a six-week consultation about proposed changes to toll charges and scheme details for the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee bridges.
The consultation covered a six-week period starting on 4 November and closing on 16 December 2024 and it received over 10,000 responses.
The consultation responses have been used in a range of ways:
1. By the MGCB and Halton Borough Council officers, alongside other relevant factors, particularly the long-term financial viability of the project, to help inform their report and recommendations to Halton Borough Council.
- You can read more about the changes to toll charges and scheme details from April 2025 by downloading this summary document of changes made in April 2025
- You can read more about the financial background of the project on this page
Halton councillors approved the series of scheme changes at a full council meeting on the evening of Monday 10 February 2025.
- You can access the papers and read more details on the Halton Borough Council website.
- You can download a copy of the updated Road User Charging Scheme Order (RUCSO), which is the legal document that sets out the toll charges
2. To inform ongoing activity and future policy decisions undertaken by the MGCB as it works with its tolling operator merseyflow to ensure that paying for crossings is as easy as possible for bridge users.
Consultation feedback and analysis report
You can download a copy of the consultation report / appendices by clicking on the links below.
The Mersey Gateway Crossing Board and Halton Borough Council would like to thank everyone who responded. The consultees collectively provided valuable feedback, representing a range of opinions on different topics, and we respect and value the contributions that have been made.
If you wish to contact us about any issues relating to the consultation please email consultation@merseygateway.co.uk.
If you have a more general enquiry relating to the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board please email enquiries@merseygateway.co.uk.
Previous Consultation 2018
A consultation took place between 8th March and 29th March 2018 to gather views about Halton Borough Council’s (the Council) proposals to update The Mersey Gateway Bridge and the A533 (Silver Jubilee Bridge) Roads User Charging Scheme Order 2017 (the 2017 RUCSO) by revoking it and replacing it with a new order.
This allowed the Council address observations received since the Mersey Gateway Bridge opened to traffic on 14 October 2017 and to clarify matters surrounding the toll charging regime that some feel are not clear.
The new order will be called the A533 (Mersey Gateway Bridge) and the A557 (Silver Jubilee Bridge) Road User Charging Scheme Order (the proposed RUCSO).
This consultation covered the Council’s proposals to:
- revoke and replace The Mersey Gateway Bridge and the A533 (Silver Jubilee Bridge) Roads User Charging Scheme Order 2017;
- allow additional groups to be capable of registering for exemption of toll charges for use of the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridges (the Bridges);
- make changes to the current Halton Local User Discount (LUDS) Economic Hardship Scheme and;
- propose a toll classification change for Motor Homes vehicles.
Consultation results
Over six thousand individuals, businesses and public organisations responded to the consultation which asked for views on proposed changes to the existing 2017 RUCSO.
The results can be found here:
Consultation Results Summary
Consultation Report – Final
On 18th April 2018, Halton Borough Council approved a new Road User Charging Scheme Order (RUCSO) for the Mersey Gateway Bridge and the Silver Jubilee Bridge (SJB) based on the findings of a public consultation.
The 2018 RUCSO came into effect on the 19th April 2018.