Both bridges between Runcorn and Widnes are tolled. Merseyflow, acting for Halton Borough Council, sends a penalty charge notice if a crossing is not paid by 11.59pm the next day. From 1 April 2025 the penalty rose from £40 to £50, and the charge certificate from £60 to £75.
First-time unregistered customers paying within 14 days can use the £25 to open a merseyflow account and have the PCN cancelled.
Where it applies
The Mersey Gateway Bridge and the Silver Jubilee Bridge between Runcorn and Widnes.
When it applies
Every crossing is charged; monthly passes are sold for all-day or off-peak travel.
What it costs
| Vehicle | Charge |
|---|---|
| Car, van under 3.5 tonnes or small truck, unregistered | £2.40 per crossing |
| Pre-pay sticker account | Up to 10% less (£5 one-off fee) |
| Monthly pass (cars and small vans) | £110 unlimited, £75 off-peak |
| Eligible Halton residents (LUDS) | Unlimited personal trips for £12 a year (£10 with auto-renewal) |
| Blue Badge holders | Unlimited trips after a £5 one-off registration |
Paying: In advance, or by 11.59pm the day after the journey. Pay on merseyflow.co.uk.
Exemptions, discounts and permits
- Halton residents on the Local User Discount Scheme cross free for personal trips (fair use: more than 900 crossings a year may be queried).
- You cannot hold both a LUDS plan and a Blue Badge plan.
How to challenge the penalty
You challenge by making written representations to Halton Borough Council (merseyflow) within 28 days of the date of service. A notice sent first class is treated as served on the second working day after posting (fourth working day for second class, tenth if posted abroad), unless you can prove otherwise (reg 3(4)).The authority must reply within 56 days or your representations are treated as accepted.
These are the grounds the law allows, under the Road User Charging Schemes (Penalty Charges, Adjudication and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/1783):
| Ground | When it fits | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| I was never the registered keeper | The vehicle has never been registered to you, for example the notice went to the wrong person or the plate was misread. | reg 8(3)(a)(i) |
| I had sold or transferred the vehicle before that date | You had already sold, scrapped or transferred the vehicle before the date on the notice. | reg 8(3)(a)(ii) and 8(5) |
| I became the keeper after that date | You bought the vehicle after the date of the journey on the notice. | reg 8(3)(a)(iii) and 8(6) |
| The vehicle was taken or used without my consent | The vehicle was stolen, or someone used it without your permission, including cloned plates. | reg 8(3)(b) and 8(7) |
| We are a hire firm and the vehicle was on hire | You are a vehicle-hire or lease firm and the hirer signed a statement accepting liability for these charges. | reg 8(3)(c), 6(5) and 8(8) |
| The charge was paid in time and in the right way | You paid the charge for that vehicle and that day within the payment window. | reg 8(3)(d) |
| No charge or penalty was payable | The vehicle meets the emission standard, is exempt or had an approved exemption or discount, did not enter the zone, or the crossing was outside charging hours. | reg 8(3)(e) |
| The penalty is more than the scheme allows | The notice demands more than the scheme's penalty amount, or refuses the discount you paid within time. | reg 8(3)(f) |
| The authority did not follow the rules | For example the notice is missing information the regulations require, a charge certificate came before it was allowed, or your representations were not answered within 56 days. | reg 8(3)(g) and 8(4); 56-day rule in reg 8(9)–(10) |
| There are compelling reasons to cancel | None of the grounds fits but there is a strong reason, such as a medical emergency, a signed diversion through the zone, or a payment system failure you can show. | reg 8(1)(b); adjudicator may recommend cancellation, reg 11(9) |
You can ask the authority to cancel for "compelling reasons" even when no ground applies (reg 8(1)(b)). The tribunal cannot cancel for that reason alone, but it can recommend cancellation and the authority must reply within 35 days (reg 11(9)–(14)).
Challenge online: official page.
- Check whether your crossing was covered by a pass or plan on that date before writing.
- Unpaid balances can be registered at the county court after 42 days, merseyflow says, so do not leave it.
If the authority says no
It sends a notice of rejection. You then have 28 days to appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, or to pay. See our guide to appealing to the tribunal.
Accounts, stickers and expired plans
Many merseyflow PCNs go to drivers who thought they were covered: a LUDS plan that was not renewed, an off-peak pass used during peak hours, a new car not added to the account, or a sticker account with no balance. Each of these leaves a crossing unpaid. Check your account history for the date on the notice; if the crossing was covered, send the evidence with your representations.
Worked example
You cross in a car without an account on 10 June and do not pay by 11.59pm on 11 June. The PCN is £50 plus the £2.40 toll; paid within 14 days it is £25 plus the toll.
Can I challenge this charge? Free check
Free. Your answers stay on this device. Nothing is sent to us.
Letters for Mersey Gateway (merseyflow)
Built from your checker answers, with the right grounds and regulation numbers for your scheme. You see the start of the letter before you pay, then edit it and download it as Word or PDF.
Representation letter
Your formal challenge to the authority, citing each ground that fits with its regulation number, the evidence you enclose and a request to cancel.
Start my letterFull pack
The representation, a tribunal appeal statement, replies at the charge certificate and debt registration stages, witness statement and out-of-time wording, and a bailiff fee check.
Start the full packOne penalty per purchase, usable for 6 months. Full refund within 14 days if you haven't downloaded a letter. Templates you send yourself, not legal advice. See sample letters
Questions people ask
Who hears appeals?
The Traffic Penalty Tribunal, after merseyflow rejects your representations.
Sources
Last checked: 13 November 2026. Every fact on this page was checked against these official pages. How we check
Road Fine Check is independent. Not affiliated with TfL, National Highways, any council or crossing operator. To pay a charge, use the official website.