It is not controversial to say the Mersey Tunnel tolls can feel like a tax on the people of Wirral - many would agree.

The fares mean that for those of us living over the water our travel costs, especially if you work in Liverpool or Sefton, are hundreds of pounds higher every year than they otherwise would be. But I feel that the tunnel tolls cost us far more than money.

They create a barrier for people who wish to visit, which impacts our retail and tourism. Why come to a restaurant, event space or shopping centre when you have to pay an extra £4 (£2.80 if you are a Liverpool City Region with T-FLOW) to just get there? Every penny counts in a cost of living crisis.

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It also exacerbates the mental barrier in people's minds that the idea of the tunnel creates by itself. It is easy to think it is a longer journey or a faff, because let's face it you do have to drive under the River Mersey, but add on to that the cost and it widens the distance metaphorically.

I can be in Liverpool city centre quicker than people commuting from south Liverpool and it is easier for me to get to parts of Sefton than it is parts of Wirral and yet, there is a perception that Wirral is further away than it actually is. This could be impacting our local tourism economy, our ability to attract the right people for the right jobs and just simply putting a strain on our friendships with people on either side as we all know there are some people who fail to make social functions because of the supposed distance.

The Mersey Tunnels and their upkeep are the responsibility of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, who say they demand a huge amount of electricity to keep running and require year-round maintenance. But more recent increases in the tolls will hit people hard, particularly during a cost of living crisis.

I believe if the tolls were abolished it would serve to shorten that distance between our friends on the other side of the Mersey and bring us closer.

It would encourage more people to look to Wirral as a place to live, work and play, opening it up to be on a more equal footing with all parts of Merseyside, especially with the reintroduction of the night buses. I know this is a bit of a pipe (or should I say tunnel?) dream, but if my words serve as anything, I hope they remind people Wirral is not as far away as some people think and despite the tolls, in my opinion, it is worth paying for a trip across the water.

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