SNP pledges £63M to remove tolls

05 September 2007

The Scottish Government has pledged £63M over four years to cover the cost of removing the Forth and Tay Road bridge tolls, but gave no commitment for measures to tackle traffic.

The SNP administration promised £63M up to 2010/11 to remove the tolling booths and equipment, change the road layouts, pay the maintenance costs that toll income would have covered, and to repay the outstanding debt on the Tay Road Bridge.

The Scottish Government would also provide ‘sufficient grant’ in future years to the two bridge boards to maintain reserves to meet any unexpected expenditure. The boards would not be stripped of their borrowing powers, but ministers ‘do not foresee the need for recourse to these powers in the coming spending review period’.

The Forth Estuary Transport Authority has not required support for capital maintenance to date. The Scottish Government’s assessment is that there are ‘no direct cost implications for local authorities arising from the proposals in the short term’. While consultants had predicted that removing the tolls this coming January would increase traffic flows between 15% and 20% by 2015, the Scottish Government insists that additional wear and tear on the network would have ‘insignificant’ cost implications for road maintenance. However, the financial memorandum accompanying the Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Bill does highlight the £200 annual saving for every regular bridge commuter and additional business for the tourist industry.

But the statement was attacked by the Scottish Green Party, which said that the financial disadvantages of ending tolling had been given insufficient attention. The Scottish Government said that ‘many people appear to tolerate significant levels of congestion without changing their travel behaviour’.

Patrick Harvie MSP stressed that abolishing all charges ‘is not in the long-term interests of commuters’, given the £20bn annual cost of congestion to the UK economy. But Bob McLellan, Fife council’s head of transportation services, said that it was the equitable thing to do, and the upgrade of the A8000/M9 spur and recently introduced additional train capacity would reduce the expected additional congestion.

Register now for full access

Register just once to get unrestricted, real-time coverage of the issues and challenges facing UK transport and highways engineers.

Full website content includes the latest news, exclusive commentary from leading industry figures and detailed topical analysis of the highways, transportation, environment and place-shaping sectors. Use the link below to register your details for full, free access.

Already a registered? Login

Sign In

SNP pledges £63M to remove tolls

order biaxin tablets

buying biaxin

ordering clarithromycin

Register now for full access

Login