Plaid Cymru Assembly Candidate for Monmouth Constituency, Jonathan Clark, has condemned the new Severn Bridge Tolls (£5.10 per car from January 1 as a tax on jobs for people living in Monmouthshire and the Forest of Dean who work in the west of England. Jonathan Clark said. "The new Severn Bridge Tolls that came into effect from January 1st are a tax on people who live in South East Wales and the Forest of Dean and work across the Severn Bridge and are a blow to successful businesses who depend on the M4 and the Severn Bridgeís to move their goods across the River Severn. "The new tolls for cars are the highest road bridge tolls anywhere in the United Kingdom and a real hindrance to sustained economic growth and long- term prosperity". A comparison of bridge tolls (gleaned from Toll Bridge Websites) in the UK swiftly reveals that the toll per car for the Severn Bridge as of the 1st January will be the highest in the UK. Severn Bridge £4.90 per car / £14.70 per HGV (Pre 01.01.07 increase); Humber Bridge £2.70 per car / £4.90 per HGV; Tamar Bridge £1.00 per car / £5.50 per HGV; Dartford Bridge £1.00 per car / £2.90 per HGV; The Tay Bridge 80 pence per car / £2.00 per HGV; The Forth Bridge 72 pence per car / £1.30 per HGV. The Scottish Parliament has, after widespread consultation, removed the tolls from the Skye Bridge and the Erskine Bridge (near Glasgow), and the removal of the Tay bridge Toll is under consideration. Jonathan continued: "The Scottish Parliament, unlike the Westminster Parliament and the Welsh National Assembly has taken a much more proactive approach to Road Bridge Tolls, having consulted, listened to the people and then abolished road tolls over the Skye Bridge and Erskine Bridges, it is also making serious investments in developing an integrated rail network, developing existing railway and reopening previously closed old ones". The Severn River Crossing company amends the tolls on an annual basis under the terms of the Severn Bridges Act 1992 (and upon an order from the Secretary of State). Jonathan concluded: "In Wales and the West the opposite appears to be true - here Government rather hope that people will quietly suffer in silence and the problem of the increasingly expensive Severn Bridge "Tolls will go away - oh for a proper Welsh Parliament and Governments (in Cardiff and London) that actually consult, listen and act on behalf of the people".