“ENOUGH is enough” say campaigners who are planning a peaceful march across the Tamar Bridge in protest against toll charges.

The Tamar Toll Action Group (TTAG) is organising the event on Saturday (July 29) with the support of pro-Cornish nationalist movement All Under One Banner Kernow.

The march is not intended to disrupt traffic and will take place on the pedestrian cantilever.

Chair of TTAG Mel Priston says that toll fees on the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry represent an “ongoing injustice” for the residents and businesses of SE Cornwall and Plymouth.

The event will begin at 12.45pm on the Saltash side with a short set of speeches from Cornwall Councillors Armand Toms (Looe East & Deviock) and Andrew Long (Callington & St Dominic) at 12.45pm before campaigners march over the Tamar Bridge at 1pm. There will be more speeches on the Plymouth side of the bridge from Plymouth City councillor for Ham Stephen Hulme, Cornwall councillor for Lostwithiel and Lanreath Colin Martin, and Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for North Cornwall Phil Hutty.

“The people of Plymouth and Cornwall funded construction of the bridge on the understanding that the debt would be repaid within ten years,” said Mel Priston.

“Despite a vital part of the strategic road network being run across the bridge by National Highways after it opened, the burden of paying for its maintenance and upgrades still falls to the users while National Highways pays nothing towards it!

“Cornish residents are forced to pay out each time they cross the bridge, including to access vital NHS treatments. The huge costs incurred by local businesses too have the detrimental effect of suppressing the local economy, and we think it’s time to abolish the tolls for good.

“We call upon our MPs to take this matter to Parliament on our behalf to fight for a fairer deal for local users of the two crossings over the Tamar - especially with the unprecedented cost of living crisis putting an extra burden on people’s budgets. We deserve our fair share of levelling-up money, especially when in recent years vast sums have been awarded elsewhere in the Duchy for transport infrastructure improvements. We say enough is enough!”