The Tyne Tunnel offers a significant route for many travelling between North and South Tyneside – and it is essential that our region is connected.
We need to make rapid progress towards more sustainable ways of connecting our communities in which are fair, and support local people.
The recent changes seem to have achieved the opposite; promoting increased car use, while creating unfair additional strain for workers and families.
It is therefore critical that action is taken to review the current system.
We believe that such a review should ensure:
- that the payment system is accessible to all, giving an option for those without means to access payment online or by phone, such as through restoration of an on-site payment option.
- improved signage to ensure payment instructions are clearly displayed.
- an impartial penalty appeal process, particularly for those who have received multiple penalties in a short space of time due to lack of understanding of the changes.
- automatic wavier of UTCNs for those subsequently found to be exempt, such as blue badge holders.
As the cost of living continues to bite, surprise costs are causing pain and financial hardship for more and more people with each day that passes. This must be dealt with urgently.