No.

There will be no changes to the tolling arrangements in place at the two crossings which meet all the Covid secure guidance set out by the Government.

We have introduced a wide range of safety measures to mitigate against Covid-19 based on the latest scientific and medical guidance from the Government and Public Health England. These include specific actions to support social distancing guidance, as well as increasing cleaning and hygiene practices which have bene developed following comprehensive risk assessments carried out by Tamar Crossings managers in all areas of the service.

We are encouraging car occupants to keep their windows We are encouraging car occupants to keep their windows closed whilst in close proximity to our staff and other service users. Those paying by cash should ensure they have the correct money to keep personal contact with toll booth staff at the bridge or toll collectors at the ferry to an absolute minimum.
To help provide safe cash handling procedures we have introduced a contactless card payment system at the Tamar Bridge and we would encourage as many people as possible to use this method of payment. For those who do not use contactless cards we have developed some specific social distancing tools to enable staff in the toll booths to process cash. This includes a ‘cup’ attached to the end of a stick so people can deposit their coins safely while keeping at a distance of more than two metres. All drivers crossing the bridge are asked to reduce their speed when entering the Toll Plaza lanes and to follow all overhead signals and road markings. Staff at both crossings are following social distancing guidance and implementing robust hand hygiene procedures, including regular hand washing and use of hand sanitisers. Gloves are worn by all staff in the toll booths at the bridge, with face coverings worn by staff in direct contact with drivers or other members of the public outside the booths

Risk Assessment For Tamar Bridge Toll Plaza

All drivers are asked to remain with their vehicles when using the ferry service. There is currently no contactless option available at the ferries. However we are working with our toll system supplier to develop a contactless solution. If paying by cash drivers should ensure they have the correct money to keep personal contact with toll collectors to an absolute minimum. If someone has a problem with their tag and needs help or is paying by cash they must complete the transaction as quickly as possible and then close their windows. These measures are based on the scientific and medical guidance from the Government and Public Health England and follow comprehensive risk assessments carried out by Tamar Crossings managers in all areas of the service.

All toll collectors are wearing face coverings and gloves in accordance with Government guidelines and are complying with the social distancing guidance. Collectors are also using social distancing tools to ensure the safe collection of cash, with Lane F (on the south side of the ferry) allocated the exclusive use of motor cyclists and cyclists to enable reasonable distancing. All foot passengers are expected to follow the Government’s requirements to wear face coverings while travelling on public transport, and drivers and cyclists are expected to remain with their transport. Anyone leaving their vehicle to enter the passenger areas must wear a face covering. Staff are implementing robust hand hygiene procedures, including regular hand washing and use of hand sanitisers. They also have access to appropriate levels of personal protective equipment, including gloves and face coverings. The use of Lane F for cyclists and motorcyclists means there will be a slight delay in cyclists leaving the ferry when arriving at Torpoint. Seating has been restricted in enclosed areas, and further measures are being introduced to ensure social distancing is maintained on the seating on the upper decks. Markings are in place at key points on the ferries. Recorded messages reminding people to follow the guidance are being broadcast during each journey. Signs on the slipways instruct foot passengers and cyclists to wait to be called forward to board the ferry to avoid large numbers trying to access the pedestrian areas at the same time. This is being closely monitored to ensure social distancing measures can be followed.

Risk Assessment Ferry Toll Collection

Risk Assessment Ferry Slipway Management

Risk Assessment Ferry Access to all Public Areas and Transit Across the River

Drivers are asked to keep their windows closed during the crossing except where necessary for their toll transaction. If paying by cash drivers and motorcyclists should ensure that they have the correct money to keep personal contact with toll collectors to an absolute minimum.

If someone has a problem with their tag and needs help or is paying by cash they must complete the transaction as quickly as possible and then close their windows. These measures are based on the scientific and medical guidance from the Government and Public Health England and follow comprehensive risk assessments carried out by Tamar Crossings in all areas of the service. There is currently no contactless option available at the ferries but we are working with our toll system supplier to develop a contactless solution

All drivers are asked to remain in their vehicles with their windows closed when using the ferry service. Lane F (on the south side of the ferry) has been allocated for the exclusive use of motorcyclists and cyclists to enable reasonable distancing. Seating has been restricted in enclosed areas, and further measures are being introduced to ensure social distancing is maintained on the seating on the upper decks. Markings are in place at key points on the ferries, with hand sanitisers available for public use. Recorded messages reminding people to follow the guidance are being broadcast during each journey.

All drivers are asked to remain in their vehicles with their windows closed when using the ferry service. Lane F (on the south side of the ferry) has been allocated for the exclusive use of motorcyclists and cyclists to enable reasonable distancing. Seating has been restricted in enclosed areas, and further measures are being introduced to ensure social distancing is maintained on the seating on the upper decks. Markings are in place at key points on the ferries, with hand sanitisers available for public use. Recorded messages reminding people to follow the guidance are being broadcast during each journey.

All ferry crew and on-board maintenance staff are wearing face coverings in accordance with Government guidelines and are complying with the social distancing guidance. Collectors are using social distancing tools to ensure the safe collection of cash.

Staff are implementing robust hand hygiene procedures, including regular hand washing and use of hand sanitisers. They also have access to appropriate levels of personal protective equipment, including gloves and face coverings.
Social distancing procedures and robust hygiene measures are already in place on the ferries for foot passengers and cyclists. We would encourage everyone using the ferries to continue to follow this guidance.

If your tag does not work you must alert the toll collector to the problem. If necessary pass the tag through the window to the collector who will be social distancing or wearing appropriate PPE or using screens if a 2.0m distance cannot be maintained.

They will check it and then clean the tag using anti-viral wipes before handing it back to you. You must then close your window as quickly as possible before resuming your journey. If you cannot remove your tag then you can pay by cash or contactless at the bridge * (If you are at the Bridge staff will ask for the account name, initial and postcode before asking for a cash payment.)
If you cannot pay by cash or card you will be issued with instructions to pay by phone, with a supplementary administration charge which reflects the additional work involved.

If you do not have a tag account you can pay safely by cash. There is now a contactless card system in place at the bridge. If you do not use contactless there are new social distancing tools available at the toll booths, allowing drivers of cars and higher vehicles such as SUVs, coaches and HGVs to safely deposit their coins and notes into a cup and stick tool maintain a distance of more than two meters.

Collectors will also have mobile screens and we shall also be installing additional booth side letterboxes/chutes.
There will not be a contactless option at the ferries for 1 June. However we are working with our toll system supplier to develop a contactless solution. In the meantime we have introduced a new shoreside payment system. Tamar Crossings collectors will take your cash payments at two specified collection points on the roadside.
Please make sure you have the correct money to keep personal contact with toll collectors to an absolute minimum and complete the transaction as quickly as possible. You are required to keep your windows closed during the crossing so please close your windows as soon as you have made your payment.

We want to keep personal contact between staff and service users to an absolute minimum to ensure the safety of both parties. Having the right money will enable you to make your cash payment safely and quickly using one of the social distancing tools.

The toll collection system at the ferries, which uses hand held machines, means there is currently not a contactless option available. However we are working with our toll system supplier to develop a contactless solution. In the meantime are asking all drivers to use the shoreside payment system.

You will be issued with instructions to pay by phone, with a supplementary administration charge which reflects the additional work involved.

The narrowness of the lanes on the ferries means it is very difficult for toll collectors to move around the vehicles when the ferry is full while maintaining social distancing guidelines.

The shoreside system will enable the collectors to follow social distancing guidelines while collecting the tolls, protecting the safety of both staff and service users.

Those systems require significant investment in infrastructure along with a large, costly and time intensive administration office. “Free flow” systems take substantial time to implement and tend to be more costly to operate than booths.

You are asked to provide the correct change for the toll. If you cannot, the change given will be provided by a collector who is maintaining very high standards of hand and general hygiene. The change poses no more risk than other coins.

These custom-made machines are not a good option in the particular environment at Tamar Bridge, where it is difficult for approaching vehicles to choose a lane and where transaction speed and reliability is critical in busy periods.

We have introduced a contactless card payment system in some lanes at the Tamar Bridge. For those who do not use contactless cards we will be introducing a range of some social distancing measures to enable staff in the toll booths to safely process cash. Drivers of cars and higher vehicles such as SUVs, coaches and HGVs will be able to safely deposit their coins and notes into a cup and stick tool allowing both driver and collector to maintain a distance of more than two meters. Collectors will also have mobile screens and we shall also be installing additional booth side letterboxes/chutes.
Social distancing cash handling tools have also been introduced at the ferry.

The mobility scheme is specific to a person, not a vehicle. This allows those without a car of their own, perhaps because they are too ill to drive to access the scheme. A tag is placed in the car allowing any driver to access the account, whether or not there is anyone disabled in the car. Drivers with a smartcard will be asked to show it though the closed car window.

For obvious security reasons, we only receive feedback that the card has been declined, not why. We will ask the cardholder to try again but if that second attempt fails, an alternative payment method will be required.

Chip and Pin facilities are a back up feature which is slower and much more difficult to complete from a driver’s seat. Chip and pin facilities are not currently available at the toll booths. Please select a contactless card if you have one or use cash to reduce the inconvenience to you and those following you.

We have placed the readers “proud” of the booths. Unfortunately we cannot extend them further as the units would become an obstacle for vehicles, risking damage to cars and the units. Our toll attendants will be happy to assist using appropriate social distancing tools.

All bridge lanes and booths are now contactless capable apart from the automatic lanes which remain “tag only”.

Yes

Tags are read automatically by equipment in the canopy at the Bridge. It is rare for this technology to fail when the tag is properly placed and the tag’s battery is not failing.

Our systems are designed to accommodate those more common issues, which normally require the tag to be read in some other way. The collectors at the ferries use hand held machines to scan the tags.

There are already social distancing procedures and robust hygiene measures in place on the ferries for foot passengers and cyclists, with seating restricted in enclosed areas, advisory signs and hand sanitisers available throughout the ferry.

We have now introduced a number of further safety measures.
Lane F has been allocated for the sole use of cyclists and motorcyclists who must remain with their transport during the crossings and maintain social distancing from all other vehicles and passengers. New signs have been erected on the slipways instructing foot passengers and cyclists wait to be called forward to board the ferry. This will help avoid large numbers trying to access the pedestrian areas at the same time.
Additional signs have been introduced on the upper decks to ensure social distancing is maintained on the seating on the upper decks, with further two metre markings placed at key points on the ferries. Recorded messages reminding people to follow the guidance are being broadcast during each journey.

The offices at both the Bridge and Torpoint were originally closed to the public in March.

Since then customer services staff have been dealing with queries from service users or the wider public via email, the Tamar Crossings website or by phone. There are also drop boxes at both crossings for people needing to return tags. These systems have been working extremely well and, in line with the Government advice on staff continuing to work remotely where possible, there are currently no plans to reopen the offices to the public at this time.

The Learning Centre at the Tamar Bridge has been closed to the public in line with Government guidance on closing all non-essential services.

The Learning Centre at the Tamar Bridge has been closed to the public in line with Government guidance on closing all non-essential services. The Learning Centre at the Tamar Bridge has been closed to the public in line with Government guidance on closing all non-essential services.

TAs a result proposals to increase toll prices at the beginning of this year did not have to go ahead. While there are no current plans to increase tolls, our reserves have been depleted and we will be keeping the situation under constant review, using the breathing space provided by the Government funding to look at the future structure of charges and secure the long term future of the crossing.

We are following the advice from the Government and Public Health England on the use of personal protective equipment.

In line with this advice the staff in the toll booths at the Tamar Bridge have been given nitrile gloves to protect their hands while using the anti-viral wipes to clean tags before handing them back to drivers. As drivers have been asked to use the contactless card payment system where possible, or to use the social distancing tolls at the side of the booths to deposit cash, they will not come into prolonged personal contact with staff in the toll booths. This means they do not need to use face coverings. If collectors need to leave the booths and be within 2.0m of drivers, they will be wearing face masks.

We are following the advice from the We are following the advice from the Government and Public Health England on the use of personal protective equipment.

As tolls collectors at the ferry will be in closer contact with drivers at the shoreside payment sites, they will be wearing gloves and face coverings when in contact with the public.

At the beginning of the first lockdown the Government identified a small number of sectors as critical to the Covid-19 response. One of those critical sectors was ‘transport’, with works to protect and maintain public transport services and crossings, and key assets such as bridges considered as essential works. This remains the case.

To ensure that the bridge remains in a safe and serviceable condition for our users we have a number of contractors who work on key construction and maintenance projects. This includes the teams who had been working on the kerb works replacement project, which was completed in December 2020, and the teams who are currently repainting the bridge to ensure that it does not deteriorate. Staff and contractors working at Tamar Crossings are designated as critical workers under the Government’s current guidance. While many of our staff are working from home in accordance with the lockdown restrictions, this is not possible for the majority of construction workers or contractors. We work closely with all of our contractors to ensure that current Government guidance on safe working practices are being followed, including those on social distancing, and take robust and immediate action if any concerns are raised. We are also rigorously applying the Site Operating Procedures recently issued by the Construction Leadership Council.

The guidance issued by the Government on 4 June stated that cyclists are not required to wear face coverings providing they are riding out of doors and are not in enclosed areas.

Based on this guidance cyclists using the ferry are not being required to wear face coverings as they will be located out of doors on the main deck and able to follow social distancing rules during the crossing. All cyclists are expected to remain with their transport throughout the crossing. Any cyclist who leaves the main deck area to enter the passenger area will be required to wear a face covering.

The new Government rules on face coverings do not apply to people in vehicles at either the ferry or the bridge.

Motorists using the ferry are, however, expected to remain inside their vehicle and to keep their windows closed during the crossing. Anyone who leaves their vehicle is expected to follow social distancing guidance and practice hand hygiene measures. Anyone leaving their vehicle and then entering the passenger area will be required to wear a face covering.

The Government guidance recognises that some people may not be able to wear a face covering.

This includes babies and very young children, people with breathing difficulties and people whose disabilities makes it difficult for them to wear a face covering. We will support these customers but ask that they make themselves known to our staff before boarding the ferry. They must also ensure they robustly adhere to social distancing guidance and, where applicable, practice hand hygiene measures while on the ferry.

Toll collectors at the shoreside collection payment site are already wearing visors or face masks.

From the 15th of June all staff who enter the passenger areas on the ferry will be required to wear a face covering in accordance with the Government guidance and we are currently reviewing how this will be implemented.