MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate use: Thursday 15 November 2007

BILL TO REMOVE BRIDGE TOLLS "IGNORES ALL THE EVIDENCE"

A coalition of environment and sustainable transport groups today (Thursday 15 November) urged the Scottish Parliament to put tackling climate change and congestion ahead of any questionable notion of 'equity', and reject the Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Bill.

TRANSform Scotland, Sustrans Scotland, WWF Scotland and Friends of the Earth Scotland have reacted angrily to plans to remove tolls on the Forth and Tay Bridges, despite evidence accepted by the Parliament that the decision will have serious environmental consequences and is poor value for taxpayers.

The groups agree with the Parliament committee's report into the Bill, which found that the bill "... is not an approach which is consistent with the Scottish Government’s stated objective to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050." [1] They have called on the Parliament to reject the Bill and instead use smart tolls and public transport investment to tackle congestion and pollution.

Colin Howden Director of TRANSform Scotland said:

"This Bill is deeply inequitable. It would lead to a transfer of funds from the general taxpayer - many of whom will never go anywhere near the Forth or Tay road bridges - to long-distance car commuters and the road haulage industry. Road users already pay only a fraction of the costs they impose on the environment, society and the economy. It is truly depressing that the first Bill of this new Parliament intends to introduce further subsidy for cars and lorries."

John Lauder, Director of Sustrans Scotland said:

"This decision flies in the face of the evidence, and runs counter to providing genuinely sustainable transport in Scotland. The alternatives to removing the tolls, including smart tolls and investment in cycling, walking and public transport infrastructure seem to have been discounted. This is deeply worrying."

Dan Barlow, Acting Director of WWF Scotland said:

"Given the urgent need to tackle climate change abolishing tolls would be a backward step. With emissions from transport rising rapidly removing bridge tolls will further undermine progress towards the governments climate change targets."

Stuart Hay, Head of Research at Friends of the Earth Scotland said:

"This is short-term decision making of the worst sort and will be bad not only for the environment but for the people of Fife and the Lothians who face increased journey times and more congestion. The facts are indisputable that removing the tolls is a deeply flawed idea in terms of the environment and economy. Therefore the decision to go ahead anyway is inexplicable, given promises on climate change and fiscal prudence."

Ends

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee Stage 1 Report on the Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Bill, para 11 <http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/ticc/reports-07/trr07-01-01.htm>

Key quotes from the above report:

Environmental impact:
"The Committee accepts the information contained in the Toll Impact Study that the removal of tolls is likely to result in a negative environmental impact in terms of increased noise and vibration; a reduction in air quality and in increased CO2 emissions." (para3)

"The Committee also considers that the Bill proposals are contrary to the Scottish Government’s stated objectives on tackling climate change and its specific plans to legislate to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in Scotland. It considers it regrettable that the Scottish Government’s first legislative proposal will increase emissions. With this in mind, the Committee recommends that the Scottish Government should explain in more detail what steps it intends to take to decrease emissions across Scotland in the next year, taking into account the increases likely as a consequence of the removal of tolls." (para3)

Congestion:
"The Committee accepts evidence which suggests that the removal of bridge tolls on the Forth Road Bridge is likely to lead to an increase in traffic volume, potentially resulting in longer queues." (para 4)

Economic benefit / disbenefit:
"The Committee’s view, taking into account the evidence it has received, is that it [...] believes that the overall economic impact of the abolition of the tolls is likely to be marginal." (para 5)

National Transport Strategy:
"The Committee [...] is concerned that a major strategic transport decision was taken seemingly without obvious reference to the objectives of the National Transport Strategy." (para 8)

Equity:
"The Committee [...] would like to record its view that reliance on the strength of a perception of unfairness as a primary justification for a transport policy is not well founded.; It is of the view that equity is a subjective as opposed to a scientific argument and, as such, should not generally be considered as a transport policy objective." (para 9)

Consultation:
The Committee is concerned that no public consultation took place on the specific proposals contained in the Bill." (para 1)

Conclusion:
"The Committee has received convincing evidence that the removal of the bridge tolls on both the Forth and Tay Road Bridges is likely to result in a negative environmental impact.; It also accepts that increased congestion and longer journey times are an expected consequence of the removal of tolls on the Forth Road Bridge." (para 11)

"The Committee considers that bringing forward transport proposals which result in a negative net impact in terms of CO2 emissions is not an approach which is consistent with the Scottish Government’s stated objective to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050.; It finds it difficult to envisage how meaningful steps towards meeting this objective can occur if transport
initiatives are brought forward in the future which consistently impede any progress made." (para 11)