This is a list of FAQs which should help to clarify some of the
queries you may have.
Click the questions to skip to the answer.
If you can't find what you are looking for please Contact
us
Tolls
How much are the tolls?
What class is my vehicle?
How is the Class of my vehicle
determined?
Can the classification of my vehicle
vary?
What shall I do if I believe my vehicle has been
incorrectly classified?
Are the toll prices the same day and
night?
How do I pay?
What if I turn up without any money?
Why toll roads?
Tags
How do I open a Tag account?
What information will I need to provide when
opening a Tag account?
What are the benefits of using a Tag?
Where do I position my Tag?
What shall I do if I require a new Tag
bracket?
What will happen if I do not fix my Tag
correctly?
Which lane do I use if my vehicle is fitted with
a Tag?
What do the different Tag 'bleeps' mean?
Traffic
If I break down on the M6toll, will
recovery vehicles be on the road?
How safe will I feel on the road?
Motorway Service Area
Is there a service station en-route?
Operations and Maintenance
Who is responsible for maintenance?
What is the speed limit?
Are there any fixed speed cameras on the
M6toll?
Signage
I joined the M6toll by mistake because there
were no signs warning me that the road was coming up. Why is
that?
Why was I sent along the M6toll to a local
destination when I could have used local roads to find my
way?
I was travelling towards the M6toll and saw a
sign displaying a price for my vehicle, though when I got to the
M6toll Plaza it was more expensive. Why is that?
Why did I still have to pay to use the
M6toll?
Tolls
How much are the Tolls?
Prices vary, view our pricing information page.
What class is my vehicle?
There are various vehicle classes, follow the link
for more details.
How is the Class of my vehicle
determined?
Vehicles using the M6toll are charged according to vehicle
classification as determined by our measurement system. We set the
charges for the different classifications which are independent of
the DLVA and other toll roads. Every time you enter a toll lane,
sensors determine how many axles your vehicle has (including
trailers) and how high it is at the point of the first axle. This
information determines the Class of your vehicle.
Can the classification of my vehicle
vary?
Yes, the classification of your vehicle can vary if the height
of your vehicle is altered by a change in load being carried; if
you modify your vehicle (eg wheels and suspension) or if you
are carrying an external load over the front axle.
What shall I do if I believe my vehicle has been
incorrectly classified?
It is extremely unlikely that your vehicle will be incorrectly
classified, but if you believe this to be the case, please contact
our Customer Services Team on 0870 850 6262.
Are the toll prices the same
day and night?
No. Prices vary, see the pricing chart for more details.
How do I pay?
Payment can be made at either an attended lane with cash (at our
Mainline Plazas only) or at an automatic booth (available at all
Toll Plazas), using credit / debit cards or fuel cards, or coins
only (no change given, 1, 2, and 5 pence pieces are not accepted).
You can also pay in advance of your journey using the M6toll Tag which allows
you to cruise through toll lanes without stopping.
What if I turn up without any money?
It's an offence to use the M6toll without paying. Midland
Expressway will issue you with an Unpaid Toll notice with
instructions on how to pay. We'll also take your name, address and
vehicle registration and will require you to make the payment
subsequently. Midland Expressway Limited takes the non-payment of
tolls very seriously. Please refer to our Tolling
Enforcement Policy .
Why toll roads?
In 1706 Parliament enabled the introduction of turnpike roads.
These were private businesses that maintained roads using the
income obtained from charging for its use. By 1830 there were more
than a thousand turnpike roads covering a total of 35,000
miles.
The advent of railways made turnpikes less attractive and in
1888 all roads became the responsibility of the newly established
local authorities. Nowadays roads in the UK are mostly still owned
by local highway authorities.
Motorways and other trunk roads are owned by the Department for
Transport and maintained by the Highways Agency as their executive
agents. Since 1888, highway authorities have also been responsible
for building new roads using funding from income tax and other
government taxes. Tax payers pay for the construction and
maintenance of these roads even if they never use them.
Toll roads like the M6toll are funded in a different and much
fairer way. The cost of building and maintaining them is borne by
the developer who recovers his outlay and interest charges by
levying tolls on the traffic which uses the road - in exactly the
same way as turnpike roads were operated 400 years ago. Thus toll
roads are paid for only by the people who use them.
Tags
How do I open a Tag account?
Opening a Tag account is very easy.
Either; Apply online or call our Customer
Accounts Team on 0870 850 6262 (and select Option 1) between 08.30
and 17.00 Monday - Fridays.
What information will I need to
provide when opening a Tag account?
During the account opening process you will be asked to
provide
- your Name, Address, Telephone Number and Email Address
- your vehicle Registration, Make, Model and Colour (to which the
Tag is to be affixed)
- you will be asked to create a Username and Password in order to
access your Tag account online
- your credit / debit card details (to be used to charge your
account opening payment and future Top-Ups)
- the amount with which you wish to top-up up your account
(minimum of 10 journeys appropriate to your vehicle class) Once
your account has been opened, your Tag will be posted out to you
within 10 working days. Before applying for a Tag, please ensure
that you have read and accepted the Terms & conditions of
use.
What are the benefits of using a
Tag?
Save Time: cruise through the dedicated Tag lanes without the
need to stop.
Save Money: for a small lease fee of £1 per month, benefit from a
5% discount every trip.
Manage your Account: online
** using your username and password or via our
Customers Services Team
Ongoing Top-Ups using a
registered debit/credit card.
Hassle Free: no need to have the correct change or keep all your
receipts for expense purposes
**If you require a postal statement an
administration fee of £2 per month will be charged to your
account
Where do I position my Tag?
To ensure you get the most out of your Tag, you need to place it
in the correct position in your vehicle and keep it in the same
place permanently.
Your vehicle may have a shaded/mottled area within the
windscreen around the rear view mirror, in most cases this is where
the Tag must be placed using the bracket provided. In all other
cases where there is no shaded/mottled area the Tag needs to be
placed behind and to the right of the rear view mirror on the
windscreen using the bracket provided.
For larger vehicles such as vans, and trucks with flat screens
the Tag should be positioned lower down. Please see some examples
below to help you position your Tag.
Certain light vehicles are equipped with metallic (also known as
re-radiating) windscreens.
These windscreens can usually be identified by the blue/copper
appearance of the glass. In general such vehicles have an ETC
(Electronic Toll Collection) window in the metalised area to allow
Tags to communicate with the road side equipment. If your vehicle
is equipped with such a windscreen or you're unsure, you should
contact your vehicle dealer.
A small number of models of vehicles do not have an ETC window,
in this case a Tag will not work at all and MEL will not knowingly
issue a Tag to such a vehicle.
What shall I do if I require a
new Tag bracket?
If you require a new bracket please contact Customer Services by
calling 0870 850 6262.
What will happen if I do not fix
my Tag correctly?
If you fail to fix your Tag in the correct position, it will not
work 100% of the time and you will not only inconvenience yourself
but also other Tag customers.
Which lane do I use if my
vehicle is fitted with a Tag?
At all of our Toll Plazas please look out for our dedicated Tag
lanes which are identified by the Tag pictogram on the overhead
canopy signs. The Tag pictogram is always located to the
bottom-left of the overhead canopy.
Cars and Vans on approach to the toll plaza look out for the Tag
symbol on the canopy sign above the lane (normally the far right
lane).
HGV's on approach to the mainlane plazas (10 lanes) at Great
Wyrley and Weeford Park keep FAR LEFT and use the Wide Load Lane.
When exiting via a small toll plaza (4 lanes) at junction exits T3,
T4, T5 or T6 look out for the Tag symbol on the canopy sign above
the lane (normally the far right lane).
For further information on using your Tag and where to position
your Tag, please read our information sheets:-
Using your Tag and where to Position your Tag information for Cars
(Class 2)
Using your Tag and where to position your Tag information for Heavy
Goods Vehicles (HGVs)
What do the different Tag
'bleeps' mean?
one bleep = Account in credit;
two bleeps = credit running low;
three bleeps = no credit
Traffic
If I break down on the
M6toll, will recovery vehicles be on the road?
Midland Expressway recognises that stopping on the hard shoulder
of a motorway is dangerous; this is why we have emergency
telephones on the M6toll. In the event that you need assistance you
should use the emergency telephone to alert the police, they in
turn will contact your emergency breakdown service.
How safe will I feel on
the road?
Safety is of
vital importance and there are CCTV cameras along the route and
emergency telephones at regular intervals. The police, Highways
Agency Traffic Officers and our own Incident Support Unit
constantly patrol the road and can help you if need be.
Motorway Service Area
Is there a service station
en-route?
Yes, it's at Norton Canes, operated by
RoadChef
Operations and Maintenance
Who is responsible for
maintenance?
Midland Expressway have in-house works teams to regularly check
and maintain the state of the carriageway, verges, drains, signs
and structures.
What is the speed limit?
The M6toll is regulated and policed just like any other motorway
and the speed limit is 70mph, reducing to 50mph and 30mph on the
approach to some Plazas.
Are there any fixed speed
cameras on the M6toll?
Yes, variable speed cameras have been introduced on the M6toll /
M42 shared section as part of the Highways Agency's Managed
Motorways Scheme.
Signage
I joined the M6toll by mistake
because there were no signs warning me that the road was coming
up. Why is that?
All signage on the approach to the M6toll was designed in
accordance with and approved by the Highways Agency and Department
for Transport to meet the criteria of their signage policy. If
travelling northbound towards the road on the M6/M42, there are a
total of 16 separate signs, and if travelling southbound on the M6,
there are 12 separate signs north of junction 11A.
These are marked by overhead gantry signs, verge mounted signs
and painted messages on the road to provide motorists with ample
advance warning of the M6toll split in order to choose the correct
lane safely.
Why was I sent along the
M6toll to a local destination when I could have used local roads to
find my way?
Road signage around the M6toll has all been developed and
approved in coordination with the Highways Agency and the local
County Councils and District Councils to ensure that drivers reach
their destination by the safest, quickest and most consistent
route, whilst relieving less suitable local routes of traffic and
as such also aid the environment. This is in accordance with the
national signing policy as set down by the Department for
Transport.
The M6toll is signed in the same way as any other motorway in
the UK. Everyone that uses the M6toll regardless of distance
travelled is required by law to pay the toll unless the necessary
exemptions apply (motability or emergency services).
I was travelling towards the
M6toll and saw a sign displaying a price for my vehicle, though
when I got to the M6toll Plaza it was more expensive. Why is
that?
It is very likely that you saw one of the fixed price signs on
the approaches to the M6toll which display vehicle prices.
You would have seen the weekend rate (Sat - Sun) as you drove
past rather than the weekday rate (Mon - Fri).
The photograph below shows an example of these signs:
When you are on the M6toll there is an electronic gantry price
sign in advance of both mainline Toll Plazas that clearly displays
the current price of the toll. The electronic Variable Message
Signs (VMS) forced me into using the M6toll by displaying a message
that the M6 was closed.
Why did I still have to pay to
use the M6toll?
Everyone that uses the M6toll regardless of distance traveled is
required by law to pay the toll. The variable message signs are
very useful in providing the motorist with advance warning of
congestion, delays and accidents on the motorway network, enabling
them to take alternative routes if they wish. The VMS signs at both
ends of the road are controlled and set by the Highways Agency at
their Regional Control Centre and provide both information on the
level of service on the M6 and M6toll.
This doesn't mean that the motorist MUST use the M6toll; it
merely provides the motorist with a choice as to which route to
use. There is always an alternative route to using the M6toll. For
further general information regarding M6toll please read our fact
sheet.
