By Steve Bargeton, political editor

MSPs WILL not get another chance to vote to scrap tolls on the Forth and Tay Road bridges —because of a blunder by Holyrood officials, The Courier can exclusively reveal.

Mid Scotland and Fife SNP MSP Bruce Crawford had planned to have private legislation to abolish the tolls in front of Parliament before the Scottish elections in May.

But he has been informed that his bill has failed to meet the legislative timetable by just two days.

The MSP had been working closely with Holyrood officials on the timetable and had obtained a schedule that would have delivered his bill in time for consideration by MSPs before the cut-off date for the elections.

However, officials miscalculated leaving Mr Crawford unable to progress his bill.

Last night he said he was “very disappointed” at having been let down by parliamentary staff.

“I am very disappointed that earlier advice received from parliamentary authorities has ended up with my bill proposals failing to meet the legislative timetable by only two days,” he said.

“I have been carrying out a battle with the parliamentary authorities over the summer to get them to allow my bill to proceed.

“It is true that I have received an apology for the earlier erroneous advice but they have still ruled that my bill cannot proceed in this session.

“As a result of this decision and the earlier wrecking tactics by both Labour and Liberal Democrat MSPs on the local government and transport committee, it is clear that the tolls will not be removed by either of these parties.”

Mr Crawford said the overwhelming response to his consultation had been in favour of scrapping the tolls.

And he vowed that, if re-elected, his first move would be to bring his bill back before the new Parliament and give MSPs the opportunity to end bridge tolls in Scotland.

“As far as I am concerned the battle to remove the tolls does not end here because if I am re-elected in 2007 one of my first acts will be to, resurrect my bill to get it on the statute book as a matter of urgency,” he said.

“The consultation process generated over 150 responses and as a result I am more convinced than ever that the tolls should go.

“A total of 77 individuals and organisations took the time to contact me to say they wanted to see the tolls removed.

“Only five contacts were made to say that they wanted the tolls retained.

“There was also an attempt by the Greens to manipulate the consultation with an orchestrated Email campaign which saw 70 negative responses received between August 28 and 30.”

The Scottish Parliament declined The Courier’s invitation to comment on Mr Crawford’s comments.