Smith calls for action to stop more Forth Bridge congestion

15/11/07

Margaret Smith MSP has raised serious concerns with the Scottish Government about the impact of the removal of Forth bridge tolls on west Edinburgh. Speaking at a debate in Parliament today on the Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Bill, the Edinburgh West MSP questioned the Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson about how the Scottish Government would alleviate the negative impact of the increased bridge traffic which would result from the removal of tolls, and how they would ensure that any further crossing would not generate additional road traffic.

Commenting after the debate, Mrs Smith said:

“Studies have shown that abolishing tolls on the Forth bridge could lead to an increase of up to 21% in the traffic using the bridge, and naturally this will lead to increased congestion and longer queues. It is seriously worrying that the Scottish Government seems to have no plans to prevent this additional road traffic and its damaging environmental impacts. 

“It is also concerning that the Government is considering a new Forth bridge suitable only for road traffic. I believe it is crucial that any new crossing is multi-modal to allow for increased use of other modes of transport and to reduce congestion and emissions. Unfortunately, the Transport Minister was unable to provide satisfactory assurances that the Government would work to tackle the road traffic increases caused by toll removal and I therefore felt unable to support the Bill at this time.”

Read the full debate and Margaret’s contribution >>