From Magnus Park:-I WOULD like to draw attention to a disturbing incident I experienced while attempting to proceed through the barriers at the Birkenhead Tunnel.

Having placed £1 toll in the basket, the car ahead was well through the barrier and I moved off as the barrier was in the up position. What resulted was a terrific crash with my windscreen being demolished as the barrier came down striking the top offside edge of the pillar and screen.

A member of the tunnel staff came across and ascertained that we had in fact paid the toll.

It was suggested that I may have 'moved off to quickly' and that 'the computer would pick up any violation', I do hope it registered the violation which my car suffered.

I have been contacted by a number of people and have heard of at least five cases of 'barrier incidents'. I am not a mathematician but I am concerned that if I am aware of five incidents then this suggests that there must be even more.

I have asked Tunnel employees if there are problems with the barriers but it appears that they have been told not to discuss barrier incidents.

I took legal advice and wrote to the Tunnel authorities with my concerns that they had ' . . . breached their duty to care . . .'

I received the following response:

Dear Sir,

AFTER taking into consideration all the information provided to me it appears that unfortunately this incident has been caused as a result of driver error as opposed to a malfunction or defect in the toll equipment.

In your letter you clearly state you placed the £1 toll in the box. The car ahead was well through the barrier and you moved off as the barrier was in the up position.

From this statement it appears that you have proceeded against a red light and have in actual fact proceeded through the barrier on the toll of the vehicle in front. Obviously the equipment does not allow this and once the first vehicle has cleared the electronic loop in the road the equipment will re-set ready for the next vehicle hence the barrier descending onto your vehicle. At the time you proceeded through the barrier the light on the toll equipment will have been showing red.

Unfortunately in view of the above I am unable to consider making a payment in respect of your claim.

Ian Mannering,

Insurance Officer,

Legal and Administration Division,

Merseytravel

I am sure I am not the only person that this has happened to.

Overton Way, Oxton, Wirral

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.