A WELL-used toll route has come under fire from motorists after a cashless payment system was introduced.
The Humber Bridge, linking Hessle in the East Riding of Yorkshire with Barton-upon-Humber in North Lincolnshire, switched to the new set-up in early February, with its long-standing toll booths removed.
Although brought in to modernise the crossing and reduce delays, a number of drivers have complained about receiving penalty notices for allegedly unpaid tolls – even though they believe they paid correctly or had sufficient credit in their account.
It’s seen some motorists sent demands totalling £27 – made up of the standard toll plus a £25 administration fee applied when payment is not recorded in time.
Under the new rules, drivers must pay either before they cross or by midnight the day after using the bridge app, the website, a phone payment service or PayPoint outlets.
Car drivers without an account pay £2 per crossing, while those who open an account receive a 25% discount.
The administration fee is triggered if the system treats the crossing as unpaid within the required timescale, which is what affected drivers’ dispute.
One of those is Lee Stearman from Barton-upon-Humber, who recently told the BBC that he had enough credit on his bridge app when he crossed, but still received an unpaid toll charge for £27 dated March 6.
He said he immediately believed something had gone wrong and described it as a system fault rather than an error on his part.
After appealing online, he was told the penalty would be withdrawn – but he felt the wording suggested he was being blamed even though he maintained he had paid.
“They said, on this occasion, they’ll let me off. It’s my fault, but they’ll let me off,” he said.
Having shared what happened on social media, he quickly received hundreds of comments – including from people reporting similar experiences.
He added: “This needs dealing with and it needs dealing with now.”
Another motorist, Mandy Osborne, said she paid in advance via a PayPoint service in Beverley on February 8 – the day she crossed – yet she also received a letter on March 6 demanding £27 for an unpaid toll.
She said she has evidence that the payment was taken and has appealed the charge, but feels the system needs improving – adding that receiving an official letter claiming non-payment is stressful, particularly for people who are less confident with technology.
“I’ve got the proof that the payment came out,” she said
“I just thought, well, I know I’ve paid.”
In response, a Humber Bridge Board spokesperson acknowledged that the new system experienced “teething problems” shortly after launch.
They said that anyone who believes they have been charged incorrectly should appeal so the case can be investigated.
There have been an estimated 1.2 million crossings since the system went live in early February, with 94% paid within the required timeframe to avoid an unpaid toll notification.
The Board, though, accepted that some drivers may feel they were unfairly charged the administration fee.
“Out of these, 94% were paid within the timescale required to avoid an unpaid toll notification,” they said.
“However, we accept that as a brand-new system, the Humber Bridge Toll did suffer some teething problems shortly after launch, and therefore, some people may feel they have received the admin fee unfairly.
“We would encourage them to appeal the decision so we can investigate.”
