On Saturday, protestors marched across the Tamar Bridge to advocate for the abolition of Tamar Crossing tolls. Tamar Toll Action Group (TTAG), activists based in southeast Cornwall, crossed the Bridge and convened in a nearby memorial park to hear speeches from organisers and local councillors. Around 250 protestors were accompanied by a dense police escort – the highest number of officers residents had seen in the area for “many years”.

Protesters argue that the toll, and fees for the Torpoint Ferry disproportionately affect residents from southeast Cornwall, particularly regarding work and vital services. In October 2024, the group protested outside the Copthorne Hotel, where a public inquiry was being held about toll increases from £2.60 to £3 for regular charges and an increase from £1.30 to £1.50 for Tamar Tag users. TTAG originally formed in 2022, when locals were informed there would be a reduction in the discount for ‘Tamar Tag’ holders.

Tamar Tag operates as a discount for users regularly travelling over the bridge, offering slicker and cheaper crossings. After waiting 5 months, the verdict for the proposed increases was reached in March 2025. In their letter addressed to the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee, the Department for Transport concluded that:

“The secretary of state is satisfied that the proposed toll revisions are justified. The proposed revisions would not result in the undertaking of receiving an annual revenue either substantially less or more than adequate to meet the necessary costs of working, management and maintenance of the crossings, including costs that are properly chargeable to revenue and reasonable contributions to the reserve.”

In the same letter, the Department for Transport stated their primary reason for the increase. They cited the “insufficient” level of funding in order to provide “safe, reliable and efficient” transportation, and saw the toll revisions as the key to self-financing the crossings.

Currently, the bridge and ferry cost around £13 million per year to maintain, covered by the yearly £17 million raised by the toll and ferry. TTAG is calling for the toll to be abolished entirely, arguing that other bridges such as the Severn have been made toll-free over the past century. TTAG claims that public funding would only cost the taxpayer an extra 50p annually, whilst helping to reduce the financial pressure on those living in the local area.

Though the demonstration was predicted to cause “chaos” for the general public, what followed was a peaceful and mostly undisruptive protest for Tamar Bridge users. The procession’s proposed route included the parade of a HGV’s bearing TTAG’s banner alongside the slow-moving marchers. This plan was later changed due to policing restrictions.

According to the group, they were issued a Section 12 under the Public Order Act, in which police can impose restrictions on processions if it believed it will cause “serious disruption” or “harm” to the community. No arrests were made on the day, and Councillor Anne Freeman, attending the demonstration, labelled the police presence as “definitely overkill”. Devon and Cornwall Police issued no public statement on the protest or their presence on the scene, instead communicating privately with organisers.

In line with their peaceful approach, the group is encouraging concerned residents to join TTAG and write to their MP’s and the Department for Transport. Anna Gelderd, MP for Southeast Cornwall, raised the issue in Parliament, recently meeting Simon Lightwood – Minister for Roads and Buses – to discuss the issue of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry. Notably, the MP has not explicitly called for the toll to be scrapped, instead calling for a cap on the Tamar Tag and a “fair funding model”. Other local officials and activists from across the political spectrum continue to push for more accessible public infrastructure.

Image via: Cobblestone Media.