Clifton Suspension Bridge: Still 50p to cross but for how long?

The toll raise of £1 from 50p to cross the Clifton Suspension Bridge could well be enforced by the end of the year if approved by the Department for Transport (DfT).

On August 1 the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust submitted their application to increase the toll.

People have until September 12 to submit their objections.

In 2010 it was announced by trustees of the Bristol icon that the crossing rate might double in order to spend £8 million on vital repair and maintenance work on the 147-year-old bridge.

A review of the finances of the trust revealed it costs £1 million a year to run the bridge – around two-thirds of its total income.

But they say they need more money to cover the £8 million cost of maintenance over the next ten years. More than half that – £4.5 million – has been earmarked for essential works in the next five years.

Some people have criticised the proposed hike saying its "unnecessary" and will have a knock-on effect for residents and motorists on alternative routes.

If the price hike gets the go-ahead then there is also the option of buying a bridge card with bulk crossings at a discounted price.

Cards will cost between £35 and £350 for between 50 and 1,000 crossings – meaning a single crossing could cost between 35p and 70p.

To make a formal objection to the increase, an email or letter can be written to the DfT via julian. smith@dft.gsi.gov.uk or Secretary of State for Transport, c/o Julian Smith, Department for Transport Zone, 2-14 Horseferry Rd, London, SW1 P4DR.