Media release
4 September 2017

Eligible Halton residents urged to register with merseyflow to ensure unlimited personal travel and avoid fines

Eligible Halton residents are being urged to register with merseyflow to get their special sticker which will qualify them for unlimited personal crossings across the new Mersey Gateway Bridge.

Anyone, including Halton residents, who doesn't register will have to pay the full unregistered toll/charge rate of £2 per journey, and could be fined up to £60 for every unpaid crossing.

Representatives from the Mersey Gateway construction and tolling teams are available for media interviews – for interview opportunities please contact Chris Sealey or Chris Taylor on 01287 610 404 / 07949 287 356 / 07786 512 833 or email chris@dtw.co.uk or chris.sealey@dtw.co.uk.

The bridge could open as early as mid-September. From that point Halton residents, in common with everyone else who crosses the new bridge and hasn't registered, will be charged £2 per crossing.

If this is not paid by midnight the day after the crossing, a £20 penalty charge notice will be issued, which can rise to a £60 fine.

So far, merseyflow has registered over 40,000 vehicles, with thousands more registering every week. However, there are still a significant number of eligible Halton residents who have not yet registered for their unlimited personal trips.

Anthony Alicastro, who is Chief Executive Officer of emovis operations (Mersey) Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of emovis, which runs the merseyflow operation, said: "The last thing we want to do is be sending out fines to eligible Halton residents who qualify for unlimited personal crossings, so if you live in Halton and meet all the criteria then please register today to make sure you have your sticker ahead of the new bridge opening."

"The merseyflow registration process is simple, and there are a variety of ways to sign up, with the website – www.merseyflow.co.uk - being the quickest method," he said.

"Eligible Halton residents can get unlimited travel on the bridge after they pay a £10 registration fee, so sign up now and get the unlimited personal trips that you are entitled to.

"We know there are still thousands of people across Halton who will benefit from discounts, but it's really important that they register with us as soon as possible."

David Parr, Chief Executive of Halton Borough Council and the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board, said: "The Council have worked hard to ensure the best possible discounts for Halton residents and we were delighted we could offer unlimited unlimited personal crossings to those who are eligible. If you are an eligible Halton resident and are not registered with Merseyflow, you will have to pay each time you cross the new Mersey Gateway Bridge – please don't miss out. We urge eligible residents to register as soon as possible before the new bridge opens as early as mid-September."

There are a number of ways to register with merseyflow, and while www.merseyflow.co.uk is the fastest method, you can also register over the phone by calling 01928 878 878, by visiting the walk-in centre at Manor Park, Runcorn, or visiting the temporary walk-in centre at Halton Direct Link, Widnes.

How to register

There are various options for registration:

• Online at www.merseyflow.co.uk, which is the quickest option
• By phone on 01928 878 878, or
• At the walk-in centre at 9 Howard Court, Manor Park, Runcorn, WA7 1SJ.

The opening hours for the Runcorn walk-in centre and call centre are 8am - 8pm weekdays, and 9am - 6pm weekends and bank holidays.

Merseyflow is also running a temporary registration service at the Halton Direct Link on Brook Street in Widnes between 9am – 5.30pm Monday to Friday, and 9am – 1pm Saturday.

Registering is the only way to get discounts on journeys across the Mersey, or if you qualify, unlimited personal travel across the bridges.

Anyone who is eligible for the Halton residents' discount scheme must register and pay their £10 annual fee in order to claim their unlimited personal trips.

Anyone, wherever they live, can also register for a pre-pay account, or monthly pass which both give discounts on the full unregistered toll/charge fee.

It will still be possible to cross the bridges without registering but, if you do, you will have to pay the full unregistered toll/charge fee which is £2 per car per crossing, with additional charges for larger vehicles.

Blue Badge holders will also be able to register for unlimited travel on the bridges after providing copies of the front and back of their Blue Badge and paying a one-off £5 admin fee.

Once registered, you will receive a merseyflow sticker to place in your registered vehicle's windscreen.

This sticker means your vehicle will be recognised when you travel across the new bridge, and will ensure you do not receive a penalty charge notice as long as you have funds in your account.

A guide outlining exactly where to place the sticker on your windscreen is also available.

Merseyflow has produced a range of leaflets to help explain the registration process to people that live in Halton, as well as to residents living outside of the area.

When the new bridge opens the Silver Jubilee Bridge will be closed to road traffic for up to 12 months while it is refurbished.

During this time the Silver Jubilee Bridge will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists.

Editors Notes:

*Vehicle numbers data according to 2011 census.

More information about tolling is available at www.merseyflow.co.uk. Both the new Mersey Gateway Bridge and the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge will be tolled/charged.

You can find out more about the construction and history of the Mersey Gateway Project at www.merseyflow.co.uk.