Councillors say it is time to stop charging people in South East Cornwall to go to hospital
Patients are having to pay £2 to travel to and from Derriford Hospital.
Councillors have called on the Government to provide financial support for the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry and stop people having to pay to get to hospital.
Cornwall Council’s Cabinet today agreed to support proposals to raise toll charges and reduce tag discounts on the bridge to help plug a financial black hole created by COVID-19.
Under the plans the tag discount would be cut by 20% from January 2021 and cash tolls would rise by 20% in January 2022.
Tolls on the bridge were suspended during the first lockdown and since they resumed traffic levels have remained lower than normal.
As a result the joint committee which operates the facilities – in a partnership of Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council – has had to look at ways of raising more income.
The committee has called on the Government for financial support to cover the COVID-19 costs but, as yet, has not had any help.
And councillors continue to lobby the Government for more help generally in providing the bridge and cutting the tolls which have to be paid by users.
Councillors representing areas of South East Cornwall said that with residents having to use hospital services in Plymouth they are forced to pay the tolls to receive medical treatment as well as accessing work and other services.
“In South East Cornwall Derriford Hospital is the only one we get into. We are charging people £2 a time already to access the health service. We can’t continue to do that.
“We need to all be talking about the long term solution. We can’t continue to penalise the people in South East Cornwall who do not have any alternative.
“When you are in Newquay or St Austell you have an alternative, you can go to Treliske (in Truro), we don’t have that.
“Would you tell people you are going to charge them to use the health service? It is wrong.
“I do believe the government, and not just this government, are partially responsible for the mess we are now in with regards to the Tamar crossing. Nobody has been willing to look at the long term solution.”
Cllr Andrew Long, Councillor for Callington
Council deputy leader Adam Paynter said that Cornwall’s MPs needed to help in putting pressure on the Government to help.
“The local MP hasn’t stepped up to the plate to argue for the funding needed to cover that (the costs of COVID-19).
“We have had no support from either side’s MPs across Plymouth and South East Cornwall to push really heard to make sure we can fund this.”
Cllr Adam Paynter
Cllr Paynter said that while in Wales the Government had taken over the operation of the bridge and axed tolls the Tamar Bridge remained the responsibility of local councils and had to fund itself.
He also highlighted that the Highways Agency had also not provided funding for the resurfacing of the bridge despite being responsible for the road.
“There are a number of issues that need to be addressed by central government and not local government. Plymouth City Council and Cornwall Council have worked really hard to ensure we offer good services.
“We need to look to our MPs to step up to the plate to fight for fair funding.”
Cllr Paynter
However Conservative councillor Jane Pascoe criticised Cllr Paynter for bringing party politics into the discussion.
“That is a cheap shot when so many people in South East Cornwall struggle to pay the toll to go across the bridge to access employment and the only hospital that is available to us.
“I keep hearing us moaning about the MPs and the government. Why don’t we put our heads together and come up with a position for the future?
“The people of South East Cornwall really shouldn’t have to be funding this toll increases. It is very costly for them to go to hospital and then have to pay to park.”
Cllr Jane Pascoe