By Brian Allison

PEOPLE IN Dundee, Fife and Angus are being discriminated against by tolls retained on the Tay Road Bridge when they have been lifted from the Erskine and Skye bridges, the Scottish Executive will be told.

At a meeting in Dundee yesterday, the Tay Road Bridge Joint Board approved a formal response to the Executive’s request for factual evidence for or against tolls as part of the latest review. That response, issued in the name of board chairman and Dundee Lord Provost John Letford, reiterates that the board wants to see tolls abolished from the bridge.

“It appears to the board to be inherently discriminatory to the people of Fife, Dundee and Angus for tolls to be levied on this particular crossing while other, similar crossings such as Erskine and Skye have had the tolls removed,” Mr Letford said.

Contrary to Executive views that traffic congestion would rise if the tolls were removed, he said the effects of collecting tolls were far more significant in creating congestion than the impact on travel patterns that might result from removing them. The local impact had been shown this year when bridge tolls were out of action due to an industrial dispute.

“There was no city centre area congestion associated with the bridge during the evening peak period, (although) the number of vehicles crossing the bridge that day was consistent with any other normal day.”

He said congestion caused by the current toll plaza was also an air quality problem. “High levels of pollution are recorded adjacent to the approach ramps, caused by vehicles queuing to pass through the tolls,” he said.

It was said the tolls had an adverse impact on the economy of the areas around the bridge as most of the £3.6 million collected annually is paid by people whose journeys start or finish in those areas. Mr Letford said that, whatever the review outcome, it was important that local control and influence over how the bridge is managed and operated should be retained.

He said the board expected that, should the tolls be lifted, any remaining debt would be written off by the Executive, as had happened with the Skye and Erskine bridges.

Angus councillor Frank Ellis said the public were asking if any money had yet been spent on proposals to move the toll plaza to the south end of the bridge, which is expected to cost more than £13 million. Board treasurer David Dorward said no expenditure had been incurred on that proposals or was planned at present.

Dundee councillor Nigel Don asked what the situation was on upgrading the toll collection equipment. He was told the tendering process was under way but any decision should be delayed until after a decision to keep or abolish the tolls. There was a continuity plan should any problems arise with existing toll equipment.