Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at?

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Tue 4 Mar 2014 19:21
Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at? - Snakey

Does anyone else here use the tyne tunnel?

When they first opened the second tunnel everything was great - nearly no queues and almost worth paying for.

In the last 6 months there are tailbacks northbound stretching back over a mile every morning , and it all seems down to the fact the muppets running the tunnel close it every single time a petrol/fuel tanker wants to go through. Each one of these closures only lasts 2-3 minutes but the cumulative effect is causing huge and unecessary delays. They don't do this on the southbound tunnel and there are no delays there at all.

Plus they seem to have no staff at all to help people at the barriers. Tonight I sat wedged in because 3 of the barriers weren't working properly - it took 10 long minutes for the lazy so and so to stroll over and sort them out.

It seems to be these people are incapable of managing the tunnels. If tankers need to be escorted through then they should only do this out of rush hour times, and if you are screwing people for £1.60 a pop to drive through a hole in the ground at least make sure you have staff available to make sure your cash extortion machines are working properly!

Ironically if you check our their website they boast about 'avoiding the congestion' and '3 minutes to get through'

As far me, I'm sick of the robbing swines, I'm off through the centre of Newcastle again - most congestion but I'm not paying them for it.

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Tue 4 Mar 2014 19:57
Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at? - veryoldbear

Come down to Dartford, Geordie Lad, and see some REAL congestion ...

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Tue 4 Mar 2014 20:28
Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at? - pork_pie

Similar situation here in both Liverpool tunnels (I have used the Tyne Tunnel a few times in the past and I agree its rubbish). Price goes up to £1.70 in May. What the increases will fund I don't know

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Tue 4 Mar 2014 20:48
Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at? - Snakey

A rough calculation and the tunnel takes £25+ million a year. Considering the old tunnel paid for the new tunnel 10 times over its a bit rich. About time all tunnels and bridges were incorporated into the national road network.

Edited by Snakey on 04/03/2014 at 20:49

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Tue 4 Mar 2014 21:22
Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at? - Smileyman

Snakey - we've been saying this for years at the Dartford Tunnel, but no-one listens, you'll go blue in the face and still the authorities will not take a blind bit of notice .... indeed they are spending money on developing a new toll colleting system so the motorist won't have to stop - doubtless to say this technology will end up being applied elsewhere too.

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Wed 5 Mar 2014 11:38
Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at? - Snakey

At the tyne tunnel they've managed to make two tunnel run as slowly as the old single one - simply by closing it regularly and generally being unhelpful to people who get stuck at the cash collectors.

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Wed 5 Mar 2014 12:33
Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at? - Collos25

Part of the Labour manifesto the last time it was in opposition was the removal of the toll from the Dartford tunnel as soon as they came to power they quietly forgot what they had promised.The amount this must cost in traffic jams is incalcuble it must run into millions.

I am not blaming the labour party because I have yet to hear a politician of any party tell the truth.

Edited by Collos25 on 05/03/2014 at 12:34

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Wed 5 Mar 2014 15:26
Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at? - bathtub tom

I thought the promise on the Dartford crossing was that once the tolls had paid for the bridge, the tolls would be removed?

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Wed 5 Mar 2014 15:46
Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at? - Collos25

It was you are correct the bridge was paid for that particular year

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Wed 5 Mar 2014 17:31
Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at? - Ethan Edwards

Yes and the Dratford Tunnel Toll was duly removed it's now Toll free. Before you splutter in indignation. Let me explain.

Labours Lord Adonis introduced a brand new and exciting Congestion Charge Levy that purely by coincidence was the exact same amount as the now removed Toll. So you wouldn't have noticed that unless you were pretty switched on there.

To further kick us motorists in the n-ads Labour Lord Adonis gave ...GAVE... our now fully paid for and self funding valuable asset to a consortium of private ccompanies. The then "Le Crossing Limited" who now have the Government right to gouge money from the motorist under pain of imprisionment. They have a 25 year deal which started in 2009. Nice ....

And politicians really do wonder why we all hate them so.

In 2008 UKIP started a campaign against indirect motoring taxation. They protested the other day at Dratford. Nigel already had my support but yet again the mans right about this. Anyway if you want to blame one party for the current woes it's Labour.

Both sets of Lib/Lab/Con liars and the Dept of Transport firmly maintain all the congestion is caused by everything else except the toll booths. A deaf dumb and blind man could tell you instantly that most of the congestion is CAUSED by the toll booths. I guess there's some kind of reality inverter between Dratford and the Wastemonster Parliament.

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Wed 5 Mar 2014 17:58
Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at? - bathtub tom

I understand the toll booths are used to regulate the flow of traffic on the clockwise section.

I've witnessed all lanes held here before.

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Thu 6 Mar 2014 12:07
Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at? - Snakey

The toll booths cause many 'mini-delays' at the tyne tunnel. Mainly because they're unreliable and theres no one around to attend to them when they fail.

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Thu 6 Mar 2014 12:17
Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at? - Collos25

Yes and the Dratford Tunnel Toll was duly removed it's now Toll free. Before you splutter in indignation. Let me explain.

Labours Lord Adonis introduced a brand new and exciting Congestion Charge Levy that purely by coincidence was the exact same amount as the now removed Toll. So you wouldn't have noticed that unless you were pretty switched on there.

To further kick us motorists in the n-ads Labour Lord Adonis gave ...GAVE... our now fully paid for and self funding valuable asset to a consortium of private ccompanies. The then "Le Crossing Limited" who now have the Government right to gouge money from the motorist under pain of imprisionment. They have a 25 year deal which started in 2009. Nice ....

And politicians really do wonder why we all hate them so.

In 2008 UKIP started a campaign against indirect motoring taxation. They protested the other day at Dratford. Nigel already had my support but yet again the mans right about this. Anyway if you want to blame one party for the current woes it's Labour.

Both sets of Lib/Lab/Con liars and the Dept of Transport firmly maintain all the congestion is caused by everything else except the toll booths. A deaf dumb and blind man could tell you instantly that most of the congestion is CAUSED by the toll booths. I guess there's some kind of reality inverter between Dratford and the Wastemonster Parliament.

Thankyou for that post most enlightening.

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Thu 6 Mar 2014 23:12
Tyne Tunnel - what are they playing at? - Smileyman

Actually, the Dartford Crossing is free overnight after 10pm, but you must still stop for the barrier to rise before progressing (even with a Dart Tag)

With regards to Tyne Tunnel, I've no idea but perhaps a local council member will be able to help - when's the next local election?

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If you cover no more than 100 miles per day and have easy access to a charging point at home or work, then an EV is ideal for you.

Is an electric car right for me?