THE LIBERAL Democrats have said the party would scrap Severn Bridge tolls when the crossings return to public ownership.

The commitment will feature in the party's 'pre-manifesto' which is due to be published next month.

The party's General Election candidate for Monmouth, Veronica German, said the move would save the average commuter around £1,536 a year.

The pledge has been welcomed by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) which said scrapping the tolls would be a shot in the arm for businesses and commuters who use the two crossings.

The bridges are operated by Severn River Crossing but are expected to return to public ownership in 2018 when a revenue target – around £1 billion at 1989 prices – is reached.

The future management and tolling arrangements of the crossings remains unclear as the UK government has yet to announce what action will be taken after the current concession ends.

But the Lib Dems say that when the bridges are publicly owned and debts cleared the tolls would be removed completely.

Ms German said: "These tolls are a genuine strain on local businesses.

"By scrapping the tolls, the Liberal Democrats would be boosting the South Wales economy by around £107 million a year.  This will help rebalance the economy and drive growth."

Welsh Liberal Democrats leader Kirsty Williams AM said: "The Welsh Liberal Democrats are delighted that we have secured this commitment.  "We are the only party that will completely scrap the unfair Severn Bridge tolls.

"This announcement will offer a huge boost to the Welsh economy and save the average commuter around £1,536 a year.

"These tolls shouldn't be used as a money-maker by either the Welsh or UK government.

"Tolls are extremely rare in the UK, so I see no reason why people should be forced to pay to enter Wales."

But Labour's candidate in Monmouth, Ruth Jones, dismissed the promise as a 'gimmick'.

She said: "The Lib Dems have made promises before and broken them ­– such as tuition fees. This is a gimmick.

"Labour has been talking for a long time about scrapping the tolls but it has to be costed.

"The bridges are a vital link and will need to be maintained and that will have to be budgeted for."

She said she had been working on the issue with Labour's candidate in the Forest Steve Parry-Hearn.

At £6.40 for cars, £12.80 for vans and £19.20 for lorries and buses, tolls on the Severn Bridge are the most expensive in England and Wales – there are no charges in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Denise Lovering, chair of FTA's Welsh Freight Council, said: "The impact of the continued increase in the cost of the tolls on business, particularly transport and freight businesses, have been enormous and continue to be so. 

"The tolls are a major factor in the lack of regional distribution centres in Wales, and when you find out that the cost to some companies is in excess of £500,000 a year it doesn't take much to understand what a boost to the economy the removal of the tolls would be."

Ian Gallagher, the FTA's head of policy for Wales, said the FTA would like to see all the main parties make manifesto commitments to scrap the tolls.