By Aileen Robertson

FORTH ESTUARY Transport Authority was in limbo yesterday after Scottish ministers threw out its road charging plans.

The bridge authority faces an uncertain future according to its chairman Lawrence Marshall, who said there is insufficient money to fund proposed transport projects.

In November, the Edinburgh councillor made the casting vote in favour of the scheme, which could have seen tolls of up to £4 at peak times.

However, the Scottish Executive said “genuine alternatives” to using the car were considered to be “insufficient” to justify the extra charges.

Transport minister Tavish Scott said travellers going to destinations other than central Edinburgh had few public transport options.

“In terms of train services, there is, according to the application, only one direct service from Fife to West Lothian in the morning peak,” he said in his report.

Mr Marshall said the rejection of the road charging scheme had left FETA “goosed”.

He said, “We’re goosed in terms of the Local Transport Strategy (LTS).

“Without the ability to do more than operate and maintain the bridge, we have no money to put in place public transport improvements.

“Congestion on the bridge will continue to increase as a result. It will increase more than it would have done if we had been able to make investments in the LTS.”

He predicted that the role of FETA would change from a transport authority to a board responsible for operating the bridge.

“We no longer have a fundable LTS,” he said.

“It negates the idea that FETA should be a transport authority.

“It is ironic that the Scottish Executive gave birth to FETA the transport authority, but the minister has in effect put us back to the days of the old joint board.”