Tunnel jammed in blaze alert

May 26 2006

By Sam Lister Daily Post Staff

TRAVEL officials have defended the way they dealt with motorists after a fire broke out in the Birkenhead Tunnel. Drivers claimed they were forced to queue at pay booths as they fled from the tunnels and were waiting for up to ten minutes to get through the barriers. But Merseytravel last night insisted only a few drivers may have been forced to pay the £1.30 fee before the barriers were raised. Cars were jammed as they had to turn round and join a lengthy queue to leave the tunnel after a Liverpool-bound taxi exploded during the tea-time rush hour on Wednesday. Story continues ADVERTISEMENT Lorraine Jackson, 34, of Meadow Lane, Rock Ferry, was behind the Citroen private hire taxi when it blew up just before 5pm yesterday. She said: "A ball of flames came towards us. "It was pitch black and it was absolute chaos. I got out of our car and ran to the SOS phone but it wasn't working. "I borrowed a mobile phone from the taxi's passenger and dialled 999 while the driver tried to put out the fire himself with an extinguisher."

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