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Dad facing more than £500 in fines after Mersey Gateway row
A dad is facing a ‘distressing’ fine of more than £500 after a row over the Mersey Gateway bridge.
Nick Barwell, from Wrexham, crossed the Mersey Gateway twice as he travelled to and from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool in January, where his son has regular appointments.
He admits he forgot about paying the toll payment by the time he got home to North Wales and missed the midnight deadline. He said he felt it would be fair to then pay the £4 owed afterwards, but was instead hit with a fine, which then grew in size.
Mr Barwell, 55, is now facing potential total fines of more than £500. He said letters from an enforcement agency sent to his home have warned him that people could arrive at his house to remove belongings.
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He has appealed the fine and said he believes the system is fundamentally flawed and works to catch people out.
Mr Barwell said: “I have never had an issue going through the Mersey Tunnels because you have to pay then and there, but with the Mersey Gateway it is different.
“It tells you on the sign that you have to pay by midnight, but if you still have a long way to travel it is very natural to forget. I was transporting my son to and from hospital and had a lot going on so I totally forgot.”
“It feels like it is almost purposefully set up to catch people out. Obviously I would have no problem paying the fare, but I just forgot. I won’t ever be travelling that way again.”
The dad-of-one said he paid the £4 for the two journeys when he was first notified, but he was then told he owed more than £70 in fines. He said he appealed this decision.
In recent weeks he has received a number of letters from a debt collection agency warning him that his fines have been escalated with additional charges and have now risen to more than £500.
He added: “It’s very distressing to received letters like that. It says on them that if I don’t pay up then enforcement agents could come round to my house and take my belongings.”
Merseyflow, which operates the Mersey Gateway bridge, said that Mr Barwell will have had multiple opportunities to pay smaller fines but as he chose not to, he reached the advanced enforcement stage, when an enforcement agency is tasked with recovering the debt.
The operator said that while Mr Barwell’s fine has been placed on hold for a review, they are confident that the proper processes were followed at all stages in this case.
A spokesperson for Merseyflow said: “We’re sorry to hear that Mr. Barwell’s son has been unwell and wish him and the family every success with his treatment.
“At this stage the Penalty Charge Notice has been placed on hold and this case is being reviewed by the Mersey Gateway Crossing Board’s Escalation Panel. However, looking at the details of the case we are clear the proper process has been followed by our team at all times.
“We recommend that anyone who uses the bridges regularly considers registering for an account at www.merseyflow.co.uk so that any future payment can be automated – we know from customer feedback that is the most popular way to manage payments.
“Our message to anyone who gets a PCN is please don’t ignore it, even if you think you have already paid. You should take action as soon as possible because if the debt is passed on to an enforcement agent, then it will increase significantly in line with government legislation surrounding unpaid debts.”
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