By Brian Allison and Claire Warrender

TAY ROAD Bridge Joint Board chairman and Dundee Lord Provost John Letford described the vote as “a disappointment but not a surprise.”

He said reason had not triumphed on this occasion, but he firmly believed the tolls would eventually be removed from the Tay crossing.

Mr Letford dismissed the argument put forward by Transport Minister Tavish Scott that removing the tolls would lead to increased congestion and poorer air quality as “rubbish” as far as Dundee was concerned.

He said traffic modelling carried out in Dundee by officials of the city council showed that would not happen and, in fact, congestion would be reduced.

“The officers put a very powerful case and the city council endorsed the advice they provided,” said Mr Letford.

Although he is a Labour councillor and the motion to scrap the tolls came from the SNP, Mr Letford said he had hoped it would succeed, regardless of who had put it forward.

“Retaining the tolls on some bridges when they have been removed elsewhere amounts to discrimination,” he said.

“Why are we not being treated the same as others? If there is any justice the tolls have to come off the Tay bridge.”

The lord provost said he would continue to support The Courier’s campaign to have the tolls abolished.

Dundee City Council SNP group leader Willie Sawers said, “It is disappointing that, once again, the Executive parties have failed to grasp the opportunity to remove tolls which penalise people in Dundee who are travelling for work or pleasure.

“The Tay Road Bridge tolls are a continuing tax on the people of Dundee and I would expect that the electorate will bear this in mind when they are casting their vote in the forthcoming elections.”

Dundee SNP councillors Jim Barrie and Nigel Don, who are both members of the Tay bridge board, said they were extremely disappointed at the result of the parliamentary vote.

They also refuted the claim that removing the tolls would make congestion worse in Dundee.

Fife Council’s transport spokesman Mike Rumney branded the Executive’s decision “shocking.”

“I think it’s very, very disappointing that the Executive won’t take a decision on this because, in my opinion, they’re looking to await any commitment that may come to provide a further Forth crossing,” he said.

“It’s very unfair given they took a quick decision to remove tolls on the Skye and Erskine bridges. It means that everyone travelling into Fife, be it from the north or the south, is penalised financially.”