Severn Crossing Tolls | Facebook Campaign Gathers Momentum

12.00.00am GMT Wed 31st Oct 2007

Facebook campaign gathers momentum

The power of internet campaigning has arrived in Wales in impressive fashion after an on-line campaign launched just one week ago has attracted hundreds of supporters.

The Severn Bridge Tolls: Ditch Cash Only campaign group, on the social networking site Facebook, is seeking to change the cash only rules on collecting Severn Bridge tolls.

The organisers say that so far over 600 supporters have registered in one week, at a rate of 100 new supporters a day. Amongst them are several Assembly members, MPs and local politicians on both sides of the Severn.

Michael German AM, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the National Assembly for Wales, helped launch the campaign last week saying he is primarily using electronic means to get the message out that cash-only tolls at the bridges have "had their day and are completely customer unfriendly."

Speaking today, Mr. German said, "By harnessing the power of the internet, this campaign will reach people faster and further than by traditional means. Cash-only tolls cause problems for everyone from local residents to the occasional traveller. The internet will reach people in a way that would not be possible otherwise."

The campaign is been organised by two local councillors in South Wales who say that they had had enough of the cash-only situation and was a common complaint of friends, family and from their constituents.

Veronica Watkins, a Newport City Councillor, and Phil Hobson, a County Councillor in Monmouthshire, say that the idea for the campaign on Facebook after seeing the result of HSBC being forced into a climb down to introduce new charges on students accounts, after 5,000 people joined a campaign group on the internet site.

"We saw and read what happened, looked at how it was done and decided to launch our own campaign. We also wanted to reach people we say that politics doesn't interest them. The issue of cash-only tolls comes from the Severn Bridges Act. Its law, so it's up to politicians to change it", said Mrs. Watkins.

Phil Hobson, who lives in Chepstow and a regular bridge user, added that "There was a report regarding the introduction of payment by credit and debit cards in 2001. Then it said that there was no public demand for this change. In six years, nothing has happened. The Facebook campaign shows in just one week that there is a public demand for the Severn Crossings to modernise and provide payments by card, over the internet and by mobile phone."

He pointed to examples of the M6 Toll which takes card payments as well as London "leading the way in e-payment systems" for the Congestion Charge and London Transport Oyster card system. "London wants to get as many people as possible paying by electronic means. It's cheaper than collecting cash. And these are complicated systems compared to the two bridges."

The Facebook campaign group has already attracted the support of several Assembly Members including Peter Black (South Wales West), Nick Ramsay (Monmouth), Jenny Randerson for Cardiff Central and Alun Davies (Mid & West Wales).

The group has secured support from across the Severn with Northavon MP Steve Webb in South Gloucestershire (whose constituency includes both bridges) as well as the support of Lib Dem leadership hopeful, Sheffield Hallam MP, Nick Clegg.

And it was Nick Clegg, who impressed by the campaign, mentioned the Facebook group in his Welsh campaign launch speech this week in Swansea saying, "In Britain today there are too many systems and bureaucracies that seem to have been built up for their own sake. But systems must be built for people, and what they need. That's why today I'm joining your excellent campaign to stop the absurd cash-only rules on the Severn Bridge."[1]

The organisers of the Facebook group believe that the power of the internet will have produce results. "We're at an early stage", said Veronica Watkins, "but very soon, people in the group will flex their collective lobbying power and start to influence Assembly Members to tackle Westminster over this issue and get a change in the law to bring the Severn Crossings into the 21st century."

Meanwhile, Michael German has filed a Statement of Opinion at the National Assembly for Wales asked for fellow Assembly Members to support the campaign. He has high hopes that an on-line petition will lead to the case being presented to the new Petitions Committee at the Assembly. "We need a toll payment system that is easy for regular and occasional users. The technology exists, it's in use elsewhere and cheap to operate. We can implement the necessary technology here in months too. But we need a change in the law and that means putting pressure on Westminster."