By Steve Bargeton, political editor

THE SCOTTISH Labour Party is to consider calls to make scrapping the tolls on the Tay and Forth bridges a manifesto pledge for the next Holyrood elections, The Courier can exclusively reveal.

The four Fife Labour MSPs have written to Labour’s Scottish Policy Forum calling for an end to tolls.

And in a separate move Dundee West MSP Kate Maclean, Dundee West MP Jim McGovern, north-east Labour MSPs Marlyn Glen and Richard Baker, Dundee Lord Provost John Letford and Dundee City Council leader Jill Shimi have urged Labour bosses to abolish the tolls on the Tay.

In their joint submission Scott Barrie MSP for Dunfermline West, Helen Eadie MSP for Dunfermline East, Marilyn Livingstone MSP for Kirkcaldy and Christine May MSP for Central Fife argue that Fifers are being penalised by the retention of tolls on the Forth and Tay bridges.

“The conclusion of the Tolled Bridges Review on 1st March 2006 resulted in the tolls being removed from the Erskine Bridge while they remained on the Forth and Tay bridges,” they said.

“We are pleased that the Scottish Executive rejected proposals by FETA to increase peak hour crossing on the Forth bridge to £4. However, the decision to renew the toll order on the Forth bridge means that the kingdom of Fife is the only area in Scotland where bridge tolls have been retained.

“Both Dundee City Council Labour Group and Fife Council Labour Group believe that the tolls should be abolished. Retaining tolls on both of the bridges means that Fifers in particular are penalised for travelling to and from work. Although public transport alternatives are in place and have been considerably improved over the past few years, not everyone is able to use them.

“There is also an economic disincentive for new businesses to be attracted to Fife or for existing businesses to be retained. Fife is an area which suffers from higher-than-average unemployment and where an increasing number of people have to travel outwith the kingdom to work.

“In order to achieve a consistency throughout Scotland, and in particular to ensure a basic fairness for Fife we would ask that the Scottish Policy Forum agree that tolls should be removed from both the Forth and Tay bridges and that this policy commitment be included in the Scottish Labour Party’s manifesto for the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections.”

In her letter to the Labour Party Ms Maclean said, “I am writing to you to ask that the Scottish Policy Forum gives consideration to including the abolition of tolls on the Tay road bridge in its manifesto for the 2007 Scottish Parliament election.

“I’m sure you will have seen the considerable Press coverage since the announcement that tolls were to be removed from the Erskine Bridge. Obviously there has been coverage about the Forth road bridge as well but this is an issue that needs to be addressed by the Fife and Lothian politicians.

“Given that there has been no plausible explanation given for toll retention on the Tay Road Bridge, and there is cross-party, multi-agency and huge public support for their abolition I would be grateful if you could ask the Scottish Policy Forum to discuss this.”

The letter is signed by Ms Maclean, Mrs Shimi, Mr McGovern, Mr Letford, the four Fife Labour MSPs, Dundee West and Dundee East Constituency Labour Parties, MSPs Mr Baker and Ms Glen.