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Multi-award winning Welsh IT support provider ITCS has welcomed the news today that Severn bridge tolls are to be reduced.
The company, whose support vans will now pay £11.20 instead of £13.40 each time their engineers have to make a support visit to their many clients in Bristol said the cut was heartening, but that it is vital for Wales road infrastructure to also be upgraded.
Managing Director, Brian Stokes, said:
“As well as ensuring that the plan to scrap tolls altogether stays on track, the Welsh Government needs to urgently address transport and infrastructure issues in Wales. The poor state of our over-congested motorways, the lack of an adequate road network between North and South Wales, and our underfunded rail network are all urgent problems which will continue to hamper trade.
“From our Head Office in Wales, we now cover the whole of the UK. Many of our clients are located in Bristol, so the toll reduction is welcome, but the road network causes problems even among engineers traveling between Bridgend, Cardiff and Swansea, so we have to keep local engineers on call to service our larger clients.
“Thankfully, most of our IT support can be carried out remotely, but when staff have to make on-site support calls, there is nothing more frustrating than keeping clients waiting because the driver is stuck in yet another traffic jam on the M4, or struggling on single lane routes when trying to reach a client in North Wales. The rail network is not much better, many of our staff travelling in by train experience delays on a daily basis and fellow businessmen say they have missed important meetings because their train was delayed.”
“We’ve been told that scrapping bridge tolls represents an important opportunity for Welsh businesses to get the level playing field they deserve. I call upon the Welsh Government to address the infrastructure issues as a matter of urgency, because Wales cannot afford to see business opportunities wasted.”
