By Steve Bargeton, political editor

IT IS now only a matter of time before bridge tolls on the Forth and the Tay are consigned to the history books.

Just over a year ago The Courier launched a campaign to scrap tolls on the Forth and Tay—a campaign supported by thousands of commuters, businesses and politicians in Fife and Tayside.

In the run-up to the Holyrood election there were signs that the campaign had achieved at least partial victory with the SNP, Labour, the Tories and the Liberal Democrats all committed to ending the tolls on the Tay.

But the complexion of the new Scottish Parliament indicates that the tolls on the Forth, too, will be abolished.

When the votes were counted last Friday the SNP emerged as the largest party with 47 MSPs, one more than Labour on 46, and with the Tories on 17, the Lib Dems on 16 plus two Greens and one independent.

The SNP have backed The Courier campaign from the outset, bringing votes before the last parliament to scrap the tolls on the Tay and on the Forth. The Tories, too, are committed to removing the tolls on both bridges.

Labour and the Lib Dems back scrapping the Tay tolls but would charge single driver vehicles only on the Forth.

The Greens support the retention of what they call “smart tolls” on the Forth and the Tay.

The post-election arithmetic suggests that the SNP and the Tories could muster 64 votes for total abolition—one short of a majority. However, the remaining Fife Labour MSPs—Helen Eadie in Dunfermline East and Marilyn Livingstone—would rebel and vote for abolition as they have before.

There are also a number of North East Scotland and Mid Scotland and Fife Labour list MSPs who support abolition. The new Lib Dem MSP in Dunfermline West, Jim Tolson, campaigned in the election to scrap the tolls.

The maths suggests that the number is up for bridge tolls in Scotland.