The new system will see the removal of the remaining toll booths and use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology
The arrival of the new Humber Bridge tolling system has been pushed back to early next year “to ensure a smooth, reliable rollout”. Simply known as Humber Bridge Toll, it will see the removal of the remaining toll booths and use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) for motorists using the crossing.
It will also replace the existing HumberTAG that was introduced in 2015 with users migrated over to the new platform. Though it was initially expected to launch before the end of this year, the new system is now expected to go live in February 2026.
The delay also means the new higher toll fees will not be introduced until next year. The Humber Bridge Board said the decision to postpone the launch is to allow extra time for final testing and ensure the system is fully ready before it goes live.
Andrew Arundel, chief executive of the Humber Bridge, said: “We are committed to ensuring the new system is ready and will deliver all the benefits and improvements we want our customers to have. This is why the testing stage is critical to ensure that when it does go live, we can be confident it will work as intended.
“As a result, we’ve made the decision to push the launch of Humber Bridge Toll back to the new year, allowing extra time for all testing to be completed. Not only will this ensure a smooth rollout, it also means that the recently announced increase in toll fees will not happen until the new year, when the system goes live.”
The new system uses the latest tolling technologies and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), and will automatically take payment from users who have a Humber Bridge Toll account.
Other payment methods – including a new website, payment app, and the ability to pay in cash at PayPoint locations across the region – will also be introduced when the system goes live. The Humber Bridge Board says the system will help make crossing easier and more efficient while also making payment quicker and more intuitive.
As reported in June, toll prices will rise when the new tolling system goes live in the first change since crossing fees were cut in 2012. Under the new pricing structure, existing and new account customers will pay £1.50 to cross in a car (up from £1.35), with vans charged £4 (up from £3.60) and HGVs paying £12 (up from £10.80).
For non-account customers, cars will be charged £2 (up from £1.50), vans £5 (up from £4), and HGVs £15 (up from £12). Motorcycles will still be able to cross for free, and the concession scheme for disabled drivers will continue. Crossings will also remain free for south bank patients travelling to Castle Hill Hospital for treatment.
A series of downloadable guides were released earlier this year to raise awareness of the new system and how it works. All of these can be accessed at https://new.humberbridge.co.uk/nts-hub/