Commuters were dismayed to learn that a toll bridge that runs between Eynsham and Swinford in West Oxfordshire may soon reopen.

A poster on Witney Spotted said she was walking over the Swinford Toll Bridge when she saw a poster advertising for kiosk staff.

The post was met with dread by some locals who said it was "the worst news ever".

They blame the bridge, which costs 5p for cars, for causing queues and say traffic flow was much improved when the toll collection was suspended for safety reasons during the pandemic.

Mandy Vanstone commented: "Oh dear lord …. Back to a 1:20 minute commute for a 15 mile journey to Abingdon! I haven’t missed the queues one bit."

Terri Pearce added: "I'm not paying .. it has been heaven without the huge holdups this stupid bridge causes #boycotteynshamtollbridge"

"Bloody traffic jam queues for miles! Stay closed, I can actually get across the bridge in under two mins, when you're open I have to leave for work the day before," posted Andy Ellis.

Some said instead of hiring a toll collector the bridge owners should get an number plate recognition system or "put a bucket out each side and let people chuck the money in, it will cause a lot less traffic."

In 2009, the toll bridge, along with a cottage next to the bridge, a car park and more than four acres of land, was sold for just over £1 million at auction.

Earlier this year Oxfordshire County Council carried out some resurfacing work in the vicinity of the Toll house after locals and councillors complained that the road ‘looks like it has melted’ while the owners had stopped collecting money.

The county council said the cost of this is being recovered from the owner.

West Oxfordshire district councillor Dan Levy, for the Eynsham and Cassington ward, said: “Most people are unhappy with the toll and blame it for queues. I share the concern, though I also think that queues are often caused by the narrowness of the road and we frequently see lorries hit each other on the bridge.

“I also think it is helpful to discourage more traffic from using the route rather than the A40 and that if there is no toll it might well be that the queues will remain.

"So it is complicated and needs a more thorough review, including a review of HGV usage and provision of a bike route along the B4044 to Botley, and the encouragement of people to use the excellent S1 bus rather than their own cars to go into Oxford.”

When we rang the number on the poster we were told: “We are just looking for staff at the moment.”