Drivers warned of M6 toll payment issue which could lead to ’embarrassment’

With the last of three bank holiday weekends in May, almost 20 million people will be on the roads to soak up the sun and enjoy the three day break.

RAC data shows 19.2 million leisure car trips will take place between Friday and the bank holiday Monday, the highest number since before the coronavirus pandemic.

Friday is expected to be the busiest, with three million trips, as drivers look to get away, as traffic experts INRIX projecting that the M25 will be a hotspot for traffic jams.

Delays are also expected on the M5 in Somerset and the M6 in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, which could cause trouble for some drivers.

Thousands of drivers will travel through the M6 toll, with it connecting the north and south of England as people look to go on a staycation or day trip.

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However, drivers are being warned that they cannot pay the toll using either Apple or Android Pay on their mobile phones.

Motorists can pay the toll using either an M6 toll account, credit, debit or fuel card or a physical contactless card.

This could cause some issues for drivers who need to find their physical bank card, potentially building a queue of traffic behind them.

Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, said: “Lots of us have now transitioned to the point where we use our phones to pay for everything and our wallets rarely see the light of day.

“So the fact that you can’t pay for the M6 toll with your phone will be a shock to many motorists, particularly bank holiday day trippers who don’t often use that particular motorway.

“If your wallet is located somewhere you can’t reach it when you reach the toll booth – or worse still, back at home in a drawer – you could end up making bank holiday congestion a whole lot worse while irritating drivers waiting behind. It could get very embarrassing.”

The M6 toll website does give drivers some allowances if they cannot pay at that current time, with a helpline taking the details of the driver and issuing them with a payment notice allowing them to pay online.

This does come with a warning, however. The driver must pay within the time allowed or they may incur penalty charges of up to £70.

The revelation comes after drivers spoke out about the curious loophole on social media and various motoring forums.

One frustrated driver claimed there was a sign instructing drivers that “contactless payments were preferred at the toll”.

They added: “Get to the booth and stick my phone on the reader to be told ‘Please enter your card’… Argh! 

“Scan around and see the small notes, the tolls do not accept Apply Pay/Google Wallet payments.”

The motorist was forced to put their hazard lights on and reverse out so they could get their wallet out of their boot.

The M6 toll website states that they are unable to take the two popular payment methods, but added it was a service they hope to offer in the future.

Mr Conway concluded, saying: “It might be that the authorities don’t want scores of people reaching for their phones on a busy motorway, as the gadgets can clearly be a distraction when driving.”