‘Discredited’ Skye Bridge tolls abolished
Residents and tourists crossing the Skye Bridge will from today no longer have to pay tolls.
The announcement today by the Scottish Executive was greeted with delight from residents and tourist bodies who have long been campaigning to scrap the tolls.
The toll to cross the privately built bridge was first imposed in 1995, and frozen at £11.40 per return journey in 2000.
It has long been a source of complaint by locals and the tourist industry who argue that the bridge has paid for itself many times over by the money collected.
Today the Scottish Executive announced that the toll would be scrapped with immediate effect, and it would formally take over operation of the bridge in January.
About £27 million though will have to be paid to the private operators of the bridge, Skye Bridge Limited. However, the final payment will not be known until after December 31st 2004 when the final audited accounts are prepared.
Announcing the decision, First Minister Jack McConnell said: “As an Islander, I am delighted that today marks the end of the discredited toll regime on the Skye Bridge.
“This is the start of a new era for Skye. Instead of the Bridge being a symbol of controversy – it can now be a symbol for growth and prosperity.
“A toll-free bridge will boost tourism and commerce – to the benefit Not only of the Skye and Lochalsh economy, but also across the Highlands as a whole.”
Scrapping the tolls has long been one of the key demands of Labour’s coalition partner the Liberal Democrats, and their MSP, Transport Minister Nicol Stephen, added: “The abolition of tolls sweeps away a source of deep division and genuine injustice. Today’s announcement is a major commitment to the highlands of Scotland and to our island and rural communities.”
The decision to remove the toll was taken during the first stage of a review of the impact of bridge tolls around Scotland. The review is looking at how tolls “impact on our environmental and economic objectives of reducing pollution and congestion.” It concluded there would be no negative impact if the Skye tolls were removed.
Other toll bridges in Scotland are now being looked at, including Glasgow’s Erskine Bridge and Edinburgh’s Forth Bridge.
