Phil Fleming, from the FSB, said: "I have brought reforms in that would not have been brought in before the Act was passed by getting some reductions. "This will enable commercial vehicles with fast tags to use the automatic barriers instead of having to queue at staffed ones because of the height restrictions "We are talking about a small rise. "Most of my members are more concerned with congestion than the charges. "As for any surpluses made I will be making sure it is spent for the benefit of people in Wirral." The changes will come into effect in the early hours of Sunday, April 3. Steve Pearse, transport expert at Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, said: "The rise has a shock value impact that is likely to have a short-term effect on the amount of people using the tunnels. "It's an emotive issue that could put off casual users but daily users will have to pay it or look to public transport." Cllr Mark Dowd, chairman of Merseytravel, said: "We used the Retail Price Index to work this out and under that it could have gone to a 20p increase. But the Passenger Transport Authority has recommended we don't go for the 20p toll but go for a 10p rise instead. "In 1999 we put them up by 20p and six years on they have stayed exactly the same. "I don't mind people having a go because they want to try to keep prices down but nobody has such a go when council taxes go up or bus fares. We have to take a pragmatic approach. "In my opinion the tunnels will never be free. "The old tunnel was opened in 1934 and like any old building costs a lot in upkeep. We have to find the money from somewhere." Anti-toll protest group the Mersey Tunnels Users Association had submitted proposals calling for tolls to be scrapped on Sundays, off peak half price tolls and no charges for buses. But the committee rejected their recommendations as unworkable. Spokesman John McGoldrick said: "We are disappointed. "Our proposals would not have meant any increase in cost to user, they just meant Merseytravel would not be making any profit. "It would have been to the benefit of Merseyside. This rise will encourage people not to journey across the river. It will be isolating for people in Wirral." | 
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