News release
18th March 2021
Halton residents reminded to renew merseyflow discount plans ahead of roadmap out of lockdown
Halton residents are being urged to renew their merseyflow discount plans online or by phone to beat an expected rush at its walk-in centre when it re-opens in line with the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown.
Demand at the walk-in centre is expected to be high as it is currently closed and has been since January.
Those Halton residents whose annual discount plans had been due to expire since the start of 2021 have been given an automatic extension, but that extension will be ending in the coming weeks.
merseyflow is encouraging Halton residents to save time and avoid the queues by renewing their plans online or by phone now rather than in person once the walk-in-centre re-opens, which will hopefully be during April. The strict social distancing requirements will see a limited capacity placed on the centre, with potentially three months’ worth of renewals happening at the same time.
Eligible residents and Blue Badge holders can take advantage of the discount scheme and make unlimited crossings for 12 months by paying a £10 admin fee.
However, they need an active plan if they are planning on using the Mersey Gateway Bridge, or the newly reopened Silver Jubilee Bridge, to continue to benefit from their heavily discounted crossings.
The quickest and easiest ways to renew are by using the merseyflow website, or calling its customer service team on 01928 878 878. The merseyflow walk-in centre is currently closed in line with national lockdown restrictions.
Neil Conway, Chief Executive of merseyflow, said: “We’re proactively contacting all Halton residents whose plans would normally have expired during the past three months to encourage them to renew as soon as possible. While we’re looking forward to hopefully re-opening our walk-in centre to the public next month, we are anticipating an increased demand for this service and are urging anyone who needs to renew to use our website or call centre if they can.
"It’s important to make sure you have an active plan in place to continue to benefit from your discount on Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridge crossings, and to avoid being issued with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) due to a simple oversight. Especially if you haven’t driven in a while.”
merseyflow has been contacting affected customers directly to remind them that if they don’t take action to renew, they will need to pay for each crossing they make.
Halton residents must renew their plan every 12 months to ensure their details are correct and they continue to qualify for the discount scheme. Blue Badge holders have to renew their plans if they change their vehicle or when their badge expires.
How to renew your discount plan
The quickest and simplest way to renew is to go online to the merseyflow website.
Halton residents can follow merseyflow’s simple five-step renewal guide:
- Step 1 – scan or take photographs of your valid driving licence, current council tax bill and V5C vehicle registration certificate ready to upload
- Step 2 – log into your merseyflow account at www.merseyflow.co.uk and click ‘renew my plan’
- Step 3 – upload your documents
- Step 4 – pay your £10 annual fee
- Step 5 – you will receive an email confirming your payment has been received
Blue Badge holders need to follow a similar process and upload photos or copies of both sides of their Blue Badge. Customers with Blue Badge plans are also encouraged to contact the merseyflow team for a further extension if they are waiting for a local authority to process their Blue Badge applications.