Changes to the Toll: Public Consultation

The toll is used to employ the Bridge Master, staff and attendants as well as maintain this 160-year-old bridge. The Trust has a legal duty to maintain the bridge ‘in proper repair and working order’.

The Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust receives no public money from national, regional or local government, nor from any other public body, so the income from tolls is the only source of funding for operating and maintaining the bridge.

In addition to the ongoing programme of scheduled maintenance and inspections, the Trust also undertakes a major refurbishment project every 25 years to repaint the bridge chains (the largest iron part of the structure) and replace the bridge lights. A major refurbishment is currently underway at a cost of approximately £8m and is due to be completed by December 2025.

Motorised vehicles (including motorcycles) currently pay £1 by contactless card at the barrier. There is no charge for pedestrians, cyclists or horse riders.

The toll was last increased in 2014 when it was set at £1. Since then, rising inflation, construction costs, updated health and safety requirements, wage and tax increases, climate change (how the bridge deals with stronger winds) and increased weight of traffic have affected and will affect the cost of maintaining the bridge.

The Trustees’ strategy is to set tolls at a level that not only covers the Bridge’s day-to-day running costs but also builds up funds to pay for the future major refurbishment and structural maintenance projects.

The Trustees have determined that the toll needs to be increased to ensure the continued operation and maintenance of Clifton Suspension Bridge. It is proposed that the toll is increased to £1.50 from approximately January 2027 (to reflect inflation since 2014) and, from then on, be increased annually in line with inflation. The actual date will however depend on the DfT’s view of our proposals.

Yes, we are proposing to increase the toll on an annual basis in line with inflation.

This would mean that the Trust does not have to continually re-apply for new fixed toll levels, avoiding the significant costs and time which could be better spent directly on the Trust’s core operations.

We are proposing to use the Office for National Statistics Construction Output index (All New Work, Repair and Maintenance) as the applicable inflation index. This would mean that increases in the toll are linked to the increases in construction costs, ensuring that costs and revenues remain broadly in line with each other.

The Trust proposes that future increases will be set using this index, but at 0.5% below the rate of inflation. The Trust’s detailed financial modelling shows that raising tolls at a lower rate (such as 1% below inflation rather than 0.5%) would materially increase the financial risk to the Trust and the bridge. This is because of the unique circumstances and costs involved in operating and maintaining the bridge, and especially the unavoidable need for a specific reserve of over £20 million (at 2050 prices), to pay for the next major painting and lighting refurbishment project in 2049/50.

For further details, please refer to Section 4 of the full consultation report (“Future increases in the permitted toll to be set according to an agreed construction inflation index”).

Examples which have been considered include:

Pedestrian and/or cycling tolls – This was discounted partly because the Trust does not wish to discourage walking or cycling, and partly that the cost of levying and collecting such tolls is likely to exceed the financial benefit.

Visitor Centre and Museum charges – The Trusts’ visitor services are self-financing on a day-to-day basis, and we do not view it as appropriate or proportionate to add a visitor levy as a way of subsidising tolls. Charging for entry to the Museum could undermine the Bridge’s competitiveness as a visitor attraction and have the effect of reducing both visitor numbers and ancillary revenues (such as from shop souvenir purchases). In addition, the Trust’s existing “give what you think” initiative successfully results in donations of £25k each year which would be lost if entry was charged for.

Lights sponsorship – With the new LED lighting (including the potential for colour) becoming operational in 2026, this opens up the possibility of periodic commercial sponsorship. The Trust is examining the issues involved, but has not yet decided on a final commercial strategy. In any event, the sums involved are likely to be very modest compared to the annual toll income.

Other public funding – The Trust does not consider that there is any way of successfully applying to public bodies for toll-related finance support, not least because the relevant legislation specifically envisages that the Trustees will raise the money needed to operate, maintain and preserve the bridge via tolls.

The consultation will run from Thursday 25 September to Friday 7 November.

After considering the responses carefully, we will finalise our proposals and submit an application for a toll increase to the DfT.

Subject to the decision made by the Department of Transport, which may involve a public inquiry, it is envisaged that the toll would then increase to £1.50 from January 2027.

Further increases will then be implemented in line with inflation, and are anticipated on an annual basis.

The nearest alternative routes over the River Avon are the M5 Avonmouth Bridge approximately 5 miles north, and three Cumberland Basin bridges over the River Avon/Floating Harbour half a mile south.