THOUSANDS of people across Halton and the surrounding area have successfully registered with merseyflow on its first day of registration.

By midnight on Monday, 3,304 people had registered with merseyflow, with almost 90 per cent of those people registering online.

Registration for tolls to cross the new Mersey Gateway Bridge and Silver Jubilee Bridge, when it has been refurbished, is now open, with merseyflow’s website, call centre and walk-in centre now open for business.

Frank Forshaw, 77, from Runcorn, was the first person to visit the walk-in centre at Manor Park, Runcorn on Monday morning to register for the local user discount scheme.

Frank was interested to see the new merseyflow walk in centre and said he would be telling friends and neighbours about how simple the registration process was.

He said staff were friendly and approachable and that he was registered within 10 minutes.

Frank said: “I wanted to register face-to-face. I thought that I’d come along and have a look.

"I noticed there wasn’t a queue so I thought I would sign up.”

The merseyflow tolling system is being operated by emovis.

Anthony Alicastro, chief executive officer of emovis operations (Mersey) Ltd, which runs the merseyflow operation, said it had been a busy first day with 3,304 registrations.

He said: “The walk-in centre had a constant stream of people registering from 8am on Monday while we have seen a huge amount of visitors to our website.

“There has been a huge amount of interest online, at the walk-in centre and from people contacting us over the phone.

“It’s been a busy first day of registrations and I’d like to thank people for their patience as we get bedded in.

“If you have questions about the registration process and tolls on the Mersey Gateway Bridge or Silver Jubilee bridge, please take a look at our website, or contact us on social media.”

If you would like to register there are a number of ways to do it.

The website - merseyflow.co.uk - is the quickest option but residents can also contact the call centre on 01928 878 878 or visit the walkin centre at 9 Howard Court, Manor Park, Runcorn, WA7 1SJ.

Merseyflow will also be running a temporary registration service at the Halton Direct Link on Brook Street in Widnes which will begin on July 24 and run until the end of August.

The opening hours for the walk-in centre and call centre are 8am to 8pm weekdays and 9am to 6pm weekends and bank holidays.

Registering is the only way to get discounts on journeys across the Mersey, or if you qualify, free travel across the bridges.

Anyone who is eligible for the Halton residents’ discount scheme must register and pay their £10 annual fee in order to claim their free trips.

Anyone, wherever they live, can also register for a pre-pay account, or monthly pass which both give discounts on the full unregistered toll fee.

It will still be possible to cross the bridge without registering but, if you do, you will have to pay the full unregistered toll fee which is £2 per car per crossing, with additional charges for larger vehicles.

Blue Badge holders will also be able to register for unlimited travel on the bridges after providing copies of the front and back of their Blue Badge and paying a one-off £5 admin fee.

Once registered, you will receive a merseyflow sticker to place in your registered vehicle’s windscreen.

This sticker means your vehicle will be recognised when you travel across the new bridge, and will ensure you do not receive a penalty charge notice as long as you have funds in your account.

A guide outlining exactly where to place the sticker on your windscreen is also available.

Merseyflow has produced a range of leaflets to help explain the registration process to people that live in Halton, as well as to residents living outside of the area.

A guide has also been developed to explain clearly how the merseyflow sticker should be displayed in your vehicle.

The new bridge is expected to open this autumn.

When it opens the Silver Jubilee bridge will be closed to road traffic for up to 12 months while it is refurbished.

During this time the Silver Jubilee bridge will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists.