READING two items in the Warrington Guardian got me thinking.

The two items concerned the moving of hospital services and, of course, the tolls on the new (and old) bridges over the Mersey.

We are now aware that the toll for crossing the Mersey will be £2 each way so a return trip costs £4.

It appears taxis will charge an additional £4 for a one-way trip as the taxi driver will have to pay the return toll after they have dropped off their passengers.

This seems fair and is what happens if you use the Mersey tunnels.

Tie this together with the proposed move of some hospital services to Halton Hospital in Runcorn and you get an interesting outcome.

So suppose someone from Warrington (probably Great Sankey or Penketh) has a hospital appointment or simply wants to visit a relative at Halton Hospital.

If they take a taxi the fare will be increased by £4 to cover the two toll crossings the taxi will incur.

As the taxi won’t be hanging around for the several hours of the hospital visit another taxi will be required for the return journey; so that will be another £4 for the two tolls that taxi will incur.

So that means the hospital visitor will pay 2 x £4 in all.

That’s an additional £8 over the top of the current taxi fare.

I’d call that a tax on ill health.

Someone please tell me I’m wrong but I don’t think I am based on the current information available.

CHRISTOPER LEE Penketh