COMMUTERS who use the bridge card toll for the Whitchurch Toll Bridge are facing a hike in charges.
The cost of the toll card will rise from 14p to nearly 20p a crossing, on Monday (March 1), and will be frozen at that price until 2013.
Last year the fee for motorists paying cash doubled in price from 20p to 40p a crossing.
This was met with fierce criticism from residents in West Berkshire who use the bridge regularly and a public inquiry into the proposed hikes followed in June last year.
After a two-day inquiry, inspector Martyn Heyes, recommended approval.
The bridge is owned by the Whitchurch Bridge Company, who has said it needs the extra cash so that it can pay for a £3.2m replacement bridge.
Campaigners complained that the company should have made savings to build a replacement bridge and said bridge users should not be responsible for paying for a new one.
The increase in the bridge card has also been condemned by Conservative parliamentary candidate for Reading West, Alok Sharma, and Pangbourne councillor, Pamela Bale (Con, Pangbourne).
Mr Sharma said: "The increase of over 40% in the concessionary rate is extremely steep and most unwelcome at a time when so many people are having to watch their pennies and the only saving grace is that the Toll Bridge Company has given a commitment to hold this rate until 2013."
Mrs Bale added: "As a part of our submission to the public inquiry we called on the bridge owners to restore free crossing for blue badge holders and freeze the concessionary rate for a reasonable period of time. They have certainly frozen the concessionary rate - but only after imposing a big hike."
The Grade II listed bridge was built in 1902 and is currently one of the most expensive of the three tolled bridges to cross the river and is used by more than 6,000 motorists a day.
Whitchurch Bridge Company secretary, Geoff Weir, said: "We recognise that any increase in the tolls will be unwelcome, but we hope that users of Whitchurch Bridge will understand that the reasons for it were thoroughly scrutinised at last year's public inquiry and accepted by the secretary of state."