In the UK, on 25 May, one of the Mersey tunnels had to be closed following a car fire that lead to an incredible claim that some drivers had to pay a toll in order to evacuate the tunnel. Operator Merseytravel told local press that “no one was at any risk during the incident”.
The incident occurred in the Queensway (Birkenhead) tunnel just before the rush hour build-up. Firefighters and police were called to deal with the fire that was quickly brought under control and no one was thought to have been injured. The fire was believed to have started when a Citroen private hire taxi blew up just before 5pm in the tunnel. Cross-river traffic was diverted via the Kingsway (Wallasey) tunnel and safety checks carried out to assess any damage.
According to reports, some drivers claimed they had to join queues at pay booths in order to pay a toll to raise access barriers when fleeing the tunnel. Merseytravel insisted only a few drivers were affected, but did apologise if anyone had to pay and offered to refund the cost of the toll, US$2.44.
The Mersey tunnels have recently been upgraded to include three new escape tunnels, plus refuges which can hold up to 980 people. The emergency services were praised for how the blaze was handled. The Merseyside Fire Service said it had sent four appliances to put out the fire caused by a wiring fault in the Citroen, adding the tunnel had been evacuated and ventilated.
