PRESSURE for the controversial toll on the Mersey Gateway to be scrapped is gaining momentum.

St Helens North MP Conor McGinn has joined Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury and politicians across the north west to press the government to abolish the fees.

Standard charges on the six-lane £1.86bn crossing, which spans the River Mersey between Widnes and Runcorn, are £2 each way.

The bridge toll has generated a huge amount of criticism from motorists.

Many people who work in the Halton but live outside the borough feel aggrieved about the additional costs.

Even with a frequent user discount, they still face an additional charge of around £1,000 a year per vehicle.

In a parliamentary debate earlier this month the St Helens North MP argued the toll is creating a “barrier” to economic growth.

In a statement, Mr McGinn said: “The Mersey Gateway is a huge opportunity to enhance connectivity and drive growth across the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

"But motorists and workers from St Helens are facing tolls of up to £80 per month, and businesses will be hit with tolls of thousands of pounds a year.

"This is a drag on economic growth across Merseyside and means less money at the end of the month for workers who have to cross the river to get to and from work.”

The Mersey Gateway Crossings Board has not made any moves to review the toll.

It has publicly stated its takes “any complaints or points of suggestion about the project seriously” and deals with them “on a case-by-case basis”.