Council defends 'no change' toll machines (From Daily Echo)

It actually makes no difference to the average motorist to totally avoid the bridge... To travel via the roads, through Bitterne and Northam to the other side of the bridge is 3.38 miles.. At £1.40 per litre. The average care doing 35 mpg, would use 61p of fuel.....
So the cost of travelling over the bridge paying 60+p each way makes NO actual saving...... Other than time...
Best for a large number of users to start going around, rather than over.... Stop paying the toll, the Council will soon notice a drop in revenue

So for not getting change and paying over the going rate you get to drive through a "plaza".
It is about the money, just be honest.....but that would be a first.

"The approach we have taken with the automation is to focus on making the journey seamless and as smooth as possible through the toll plaza"

That seems very sensible to me.

George4th wrote:
"The approach we have taken with the automation is to focus on making the journey seamless and as smooth as possible through the toll plaza"

That seems very sensible to me.

Not if you are a visitor and don't know it does not give change.
And how many people will forget to have change and cannot turn around to go get it.
It is about making money the same as any automaton that has been invented

George4th wrote:
"The approach we have taken with the automation is to focus on making the journey seamless and as smooth as possible through the toll plaza"

That seems very sensible to me.

Not when a driver gets to the booth and only has a £5 note then tries to reverse out of the 'plaza'.

And what if you do arrive with the correct change and the machine refuses to except a coin because you didn't relalise that 10pence is actually an USA dollar coin, there are thousand of Dollar and similar coins in circulation in the UK which are almost the same size as a 10pence but the machines will not take them?

When are they going to let taxis bypass the toll like the buses? The fact that the taxi drivers have to pay the toll everytime is absolute insanity.

When I called Southampton CC about this issue before the works happened they said they would be talking to residents of SO19 and SO18 about any fears they have...apparently the "no change" is for environmental reasons, because it would cause a queue (uhm clearly they have never been at the tolls at peak time). As an SO19 resident this has never happened - can't wait to use my £20 note deliberately!

Apparently they will be making available a "pre-pay card", why on earth do I want to hand over a large sum of money to the Council in advance for a poor service like the Bridge!

Best get rid of the tolls completely - that would make MUCH more sense for speed and the environment!!!

MGBR wrote:
When I called Southampton CC about this issue before the works happened they said they would be talking to residents of SO19 and SO18 about any fears they have...apparently the "no change" is for environmental reasons, because it would cause a queue (uhm clearly they have never been at the tolls at peak time). As an SO19 resident this has never happened - can't wait to use my £20 note deliberately!

Apparently they will be making available a "pre-pay card", why on earth do I want to hand over a large sum of money to the Council in advance for a poor service like the Bridge!

Best get rid of the tolls completely - that would make MUCH more sense for speed and the environment!!!

As a SO19 resident why haven't you purchased the tokens available to you at a reduced price and then not had to worry about your £20 note!

MGBR wrote:
When I called Southampton CC about this issue before the works happened they said they would be talking to residents of SO19 and SO18 about any fears they have...apparently the "no change" is for environmental reasons, because it would cause a queue (uhm clearly they have never been at the tolls at peak time). As an SO19 resident this has never happened - can't wait to use my £20 note deliberately!

Apparently they will be making available a "pre-pay card", why on earth do I want to hand over a large sum of money to the Council in advance for a poor service like the Bridge!

Best get rid of the tolls completely - that would make MUCH more sense for speed and the environment!!!

.. "a poor service like the bridge"??

What's poor about the service?

Every single time I have used the bridge it has always got me to the other side. A 100% successful service.

dolomiteman wrote:

George4th wrote:
"The approach we have taken with the automation is to focus on making the journey seamless and as smooth as possible through the toll plaza"

That seems very sensible to me.

Not when a driver gets to the booth and only has a £5 note then tries to reverse out of the 'plaza'.

And what if you do arrive with the correct change and the machine refuses to except a coin because you didn't relalise that 10pence is actually an USA dollar coin, there are thousand of Dollar and similar coins in circulation in the UK which are almost the same size as a 10pence but the machines will not take them?

I will never ever get my head round all the people in Southampton whose pleasure in life is to come up with an exception! I'm sure you and the previous poster (saintinpattaya) would have come up with exceptions to the use of the wheel!
>
The minuscule problems you bring up are easily solvable!

There is no legal obligation to give change.

"Apparently they will be making available a "pre-pay card", why on earth do I want to hand over a large sum of money to the Council in advance for a poor service like the Bridge"

So you don't have to worry about the correct change.

Simple - bit like you MGBR

sotonbusdriver wrote:
It actually makes no difference to the average motorist to totally avoid the bridge... To travel via the roads, through Bitterne and Northam to the other side of the bridge is 3.38 miles.. At £1.40 per litre. The average care doing 35 mpg, would use 61p of fuel.....
So the cost of travelling over the bridge paying 60+p each way makes NO actual saving...... Other than time...
Best for a large number of users to start going around, rather than over.... Stop paying the toll, the Council will soon notice a drop in revenue

The fuel consumption is not the true running cost of a vehicle now is it? Wear and tear etc... play a bigger part and that makes it more expensive!!

How many more idiotic posters can there be today.
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Have NONE of them ever used this type of pay machine before ...... I think virtually every parking ticket machine in the street fails to give change.

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FFS grow up .... It is very simple ..... Get the correct money .. or ..... dont use it ....... or lose the change

I think not having to touch those grubby,leathery hands any more is worth the extra 40p.