Great news for riders in parts of the South: the toll charges on either of the Severn Bridges has been scrapped, as of right now.

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The Severn Bridge and the Second Severn Crossing are vital links between the south west of England and the south of Wales, and also into mid- and west Wales for that matter.

To cross into Wales this way used to cost you £6.70 if you were in a car. If you have a van it would have cost you a hefty £13.40. Which, whilst not massive outlays in their own right, these charges certainly added up, especially when combined with fuel costs.

Regular BikePark Wales visitors may wish to calculate the annual savings that they’ll now be enjoying. Hint: hundreds of pounds.

Driving from Bristol to BikePark Wales in a van, or in a car with a fuel-sucking bike rack, won’t rinse you of your hard-earned quite as badly as it did before.

Let’s hope the scrapping of these tolls see more mountain bikers spreading their wings and (re)visiting other trail centres, such as Afan Forest, Cwn Carn and even the Forest Of Dean, which is technically is England but typically accessed via the Severn Bridges.

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It may even kickstart the further exploration of Wales’ natural trails and routes. Places like the Gower Peninsula, Preseli Hills and the Black Mountains will become more alluring for the more inquisitive mountain biker now that they’re a bit cheaper to get to.