A return of tolls on the Forth and Tay bridges may be needed if Scotland is to meet carbon emission targets, MSPs have been told.
The shock revelation came from auditor general Robert Black, who said the Scottish Government is facing ”real challenges” to meet its target of reducing emissions by 42% by 2020.
He highlighted a recent report from Audit Scotland which stated the SNP ”will need to consider introducing new policies that it has previously ruled out, such as a road pricing scheme”.
Road pricing schemes pursued in other parts of the UK include bridge tolls and congestion charges.
Tolls on the Forth and the Tay were abolished by the SNP in 2007 following a campaign by The Courier. But Mr Black told Holyrood’s public audit committee that such schemes need to be reconsidered to meet emissions targets.
It is hoped extra charges would persuade more motorists to switch to more environmentally friendly options like public transport.
Mr Black told the committee: ”To make a further step-change in this area, policies that have perhaps not been attractive in the past might have to be considered.”
He added: ”If we are going, as a society, to increase significantly the policy impact that we can have in this area, then some of these new areas will have to be looked at because all the other significant areas have been addressed already.”
Green MSP Patrick Harvie, who opposed scrapping the tolls, said Mr Black was ”right” to flag up such areas as a way to drive down emissions.
He said: ”A careful and well-designed approach to road pricing, as an alternative to existing taxes, could bring benefits to people’s pockets, to local economies and to the environment. It’s time for a debate on the idea.”
The proposal, which is sure to be opposed by commuters across Tayside and Fife, comes despite the fact the abolishing of tolls has had no discernible impact on traffic.
And the Scottish Government pledged there will be no return to tolls under the SNP administration.
A spokesman said: ”Scottish ministers have no plans to introduce road tolls or congestion charges. As Audit Scotland’s report acknowledges, we are almost two thirds of the way to achieving our ambitious target of reducing Scottish emissions by 42% by 2020.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie also reiterated his opposition to bringing back the tolls.
The Mid Scotland and Fife MSP said: ”The claims that there would be a significant increase in traffic on the bridges as a result of the abolition of the tolls proved to be wrong.”
Tory transport spokesman Alex Johnstone also attacked the suggestion.
He said: ”The collapse in our economy is already resulting in a reduction of CO2 emissions and what the auditor general is suggesting is that we squeeze our economy further to achieve these objectives.”
It was revealed earlier this year that the average commuter had saved £230 a year crossing the Forth and £184 crossing the Tay.