By Steve Bargeton, political editor

THE ABOLITION of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Bill was laid before parliament yesterday and is likely to become law around the end of the year.

It is the first piece of proposed legislation by the SNP minority government and has the overwhelming support of MSPs.

MSPs on Holyrood’s transport committee met yesterday to agree a programme for scrutiny of the Bill. In summary, it seeks to repeal the power to impose tolls in respect of the Forth and Tay bridges.

The scrapping of tolls on the Forth and Tay road bridges will cost the taxpayer £87 million over the next four years.

A financial memorandum prepared for MSPs noted that removing the £1 toll on the Forth Bridge and the 80p toll on the Tay Bridge will cost the Scottish government about £15 million a year in lost revenues.

In addition there is a £15 million outstanding debt on the Tay Bridge, the cost of continuing repair work on both bridges and redundancy payments for bridge staff.

In total the bill to the taxpayer in this financial year is estimated at £26.35 million according to figures in the Bill.

Over the next three years another £60.79 million will be needed after the Scottish Government takes full financial responsibility for the two crossings.

The Bill also sets out the proposed future management structure of the two bridges.

The Forth Estuary Transport Authority and the Tay Road Bridge Joint Board will continue to exist but will be funded directly through Executive grants.

Scrapping tolls on the Forth and Tay road bridges was a key SNP manifesto commitment in the Holyrood elections.

The SNP backed The Courier campaign to remove the tolls after charges were removed by the previous Lab/Lib Dem administration on the Skye and Erskine bridges.

At the end of May MSPs overwhelmingly backed a motion to remove the tolls.

However the Scottish Tories said yesterday they wanted to see the Bill amended to prevent the Forth Estuary Transport Authority from imposing congestion charges on the Forth bridge in the future.

“What is being overlooked amid this welcome announcement is that Part 3 of the 2001 Transport (Scotland) Act allows for local councils and the Forth Estuary Transport Authority to bring in tolls for congestion charging,” said chief whip David McLetchie.

“Therefore today’s step is not enough.

“I have written to the transport minister urging him to close this potentially exploitable loophole in the law.”

Of the parties represented at Holyrood only the Scottish Greens, who have two MSPs, oppose the removal of bridge tolls.