MOTORISTS would travel through the Mersey Tunnel toll-free on Sundays and pay half-price during off-peak hours, if controversial plans from a watchdog group got the go-ahead.

Mersey Tunnel Users Association - a 5,000-strong group that campaigns for a better deal for drivers - has put forward a detailed scheme aimed at promoting use of both Mersey tunnels and easing congestion on the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge.

The blueprint, entitled Mersey Tunnels - a New Way Forward - has been sent to MPs and councillors in a bid to win support for the proposals. MTUA further claim that the measures would stimulate commerce in Liverpool and Wirral, countering the trend for shoppers to head for out-of-town developments.

The proposals were met with a brusque response from Merseytravel. A spokesman said: "It is a matter for Merseytravel to manage the tunnels, not the MTUA.

"Their arguments have been debated at length in the committee stage of the House of Lords and were rejected.

"Merseytravel have not seen the supposed blueprint and therefore cannot comment."

He added: "The public transport budget for supported services is already fully stretched to meet the needs of the travelling public on Merseyside."

The main proposals MTUA are:

- Tunnels to be toll-free every Sunday.

- No increases in peak tolls, but off-peak tolls reduced.

- Buses to travel toll-free all the time.

An MTUA spokesman said: "The tunnels were always intended to be a benefit to the whole region. We want local politicians to re-think the way the tunnels are operated; to realise their full potential as a vital cross-river link which could benefit the whole region."

He went on: "Currently, because the same rates are charged 24 hours a day, the tolls are a huge obstacle to cross-river traffic. The cost of the tolls puts people off using them and even keeps families apart. Liverpool and Wirral would be a much more attractive packages to businesses, shoppers and visitors if the tolls were changed in order to attract people, rather than having the river act as a barrier."

Earlier this year Parliament passed the Mersey Tunnels Act 2004 which enabled Merseytravel to have automatic toll increases and to use the profits to fund other Merseytravel spending.

MTUA claims that Merseytravel does not need to have toll increases to fund tunnel spending as there is a big operating surplus.

It estimates that, at present charges, the tunnels will generate income from tolls of around £34m in 2005/6. With operating and administration cost of £14m the operating surplus would be around £20m per year.