Since February 2026, the Humber Bridge has moved from staffed toll booths to an ANPR system requiring drivers to pay online by midnight the following day. While this change was intended to modernise the process and reduced operating costs, it has made it far too easy for otherwise honest motorists to forget to pay. 

Under the old system, payment was unavoidable at the point of crossing; now, it relies on memory, with no reminders or notifications in place.

As a result, honest drivers who fully intend to pay are being issued fines simply for forgetting to pay within a very short timeframe. This is not deliberate toll evasion - it is a predictable flaw in the system. 

This also raises serious concerns that Humber Bridge may be profiting directly from a new system that encourages and exploits human error, whereas the previous human payment system protected against this, ensuring that only dishonest drivers would be fined. 

We are calling for a fairer approach, including payment reminders and a refund of all penalties issued without reminder notifications under this new system.