By Aileen Robertson

ANTI-TOLLS CAMPAIGNERS have described a £5 million investment in electronic tolling equipment on the Forth road bridge as “a complete waste of money.”

Forth Estuary Transport Authority is to launch an “e-tag” system later this year. Customers using the scheme have an electronic tag fixed to their car windscreen which can be picked up by a scanner.

The bridge operators say the scheme will reduce the time it takes cars to pass through the toll booths and therefore ease congestion.

However, John McGoldrick from campaign group National Alliance Against Tolls Scotland said the system was a waste of cash and could increase traffic problems.

He said, “It’s a complete waste of money and shows arrogance. The issue is not the level of discount, it is whether there should be a toll at all. It is a scandal that the bridge authority will have spent over £5 million on new tolling equipment.

“The decision to do this was made in October 2004 during the tolled bridges review, and in the knowledge that the legal authority to collect the tolls ended on March 31, 2006. Did the authorities know 18 months in advance what the minister’s decision, announced on March 1, 2006, would be?

“The experience elsewhere is that electronic tolling can actually slow traffic down and can cause accidents due to traffic switching lanes. It remains to be seen what effect it will have on the Forth road bridge.

“But in any case, tolling is grossly unfair to the people and businesses that use the bridge and damages the economy. The Scottish Executive and the authorities are clinging on to their tolling regime with the grip of a miser. Will they ever let go?”

The cost of joining the scheme will be at least £30 followed by a 50p monthly service charge. However, bridge users using e-tags will qualify for discounts, as do those currently using vouchers. Car users will get 10p off the £1 toll and commercial vehicles 35% off.

Mr McGoldrick said, “The report that is going to the FETA meeting on the discount and the 50 pence service charge says that ‘as the expected life of a tag is between five and six years, this charge will provide for the replacement cost of the tag over its lifetime.’

“Does this mean that FETA already know the result of the latest review of tolls? The people are being treated with contempt.”

It is estimated the discounts will cost the bridge operators £400,000 a year. However, FETA general manager and bridgemaster Alastair Andrew said this would be offset by other factors.

He said, “Although this will reduce the income available to FETA, this will be offset by cost savings from not having to carry out a programme of public and statutory consultation in support of the road user charging scheme that was rejected by Scottish ministers.

“Electronic tolling presents us with many opportunities to improve the efficiency of the bridge and the service we offer to our regular customers. Apart from the convenience of not carrying cash or vouchers and being able to manage your account on-line, e-tag holders will also benefit from speedier access through dedicated lanes at off-peak periods.”