TT2 Limited, a tolling operations company which runs the Tyne Tunnels, has announced the launch of a public information campaign for the duration of the school holidays to help travellers avoid fines.
The campaign’s main taglines include: ‘Pre-pay and drive straight through’, ‘Save ten percent all Summer, with a PrePaid account’, ‘There’s no stopping you this Summer’ and ‘Pay online by midnight the day after your journey’.
Due to post-pandemic increases in the number of people travelling, the Tyne Tunnels could see an unprecedented volume of traffic this summer.
The tunnels switched to a cashless tolling method this year, which has resulted in some controversy, including calls from a local MP for a law change around fines and a petition to change the system based on resulting ‘distress and financial hardship’.
Philip Smith, CEO of TT2, said: “Over the summer, the profile of our tunnel users changes significantly as commuting decreases over July and August and one-off users, or infrequent users of the crossing, increase.
“We want to ensure that drivers who aren’t used to using the tunnels have a stress-free time by understanding – ahead of their journeys – how to pay their toll, and when to pay it by.
“We are encouraging people to get a Pre-Paid account which makes paying as simple as possible and gives them 10% off their toll.”
TT2 claims that recent data, from a six-moth review of the system, shows reduced journey times, lower carbon emissions and a growth in the number of tolls paid on time.
