 DRIVERS will have to pay an extra 10p every time they use the Mersey tunnels from April. The 8% increase in car charges was voted through by Merseytravel yesterday and will mean commuters using them on a daily basis will be forced to pay out an extra £50 a year. The increase - the first under a controversial new law giving the authority the right to put up tolls whenever inflation dictates - was criticised by politicians and campaigners last night as an unfair tax on drivers in Wirral. There are also fears it could have an impact on business investment across Merseyside. Wirral South MP Ben Chapman, who campaigned to stop the Tunnels Bill, said: "No other area in the country has its central artery as a tolled route. "It is an economic disincentive for investment, creation of jobs and growth in Merseyside. "This will impact on both sides of the river but will particularly be a financial burden on people in Wirral who have no alternative but to pay the toll." The rise comes just seven months after the Mersey Tunnels Act was passed by the House of Lords following years of legal and political wrangles. It allows Merseytravel the freedom to set its own charges and means they can use the cash to fund other transport projects in the region. Members of the policy and resources committee were told yesterday the tunnels were £93m in debt and money raised from the increase would be used to fund vital health and safety work. But while car drivers will be penalised, charges for HGVs and van drivers will be cut after the committee agreed to scrap the four levels of classification following recommendations from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). It is hoped that simplifying the tolls will ease congestion. Large vans will pay the same as cars, saving them £1.10 per journey. Tolls for the largest HGV will drop from £4.80 to £3.90. | 
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