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Pressure mounts for new Forth bridg
Page 11
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THE ROAD HAULAGE Association (RH A) has added its voice to the campaign for a new Forth bridge, arguing that action should be taken now "instead of waiting for years".
Pat Glancey, regional manager for the RHA in Scotland and Ireland, says: -If it has been decided that we're going down that linejet's do it now and not wait five years to do it."
Wishart International, which operates from Kirkcaldy in Fife. would be greatly affected if the existing bridge were shut to LGV traffic. Director Andrew Wishart says the company is planning to move its HQ to a site next to the bridge, but the lack of clarity about a second crossing is making it difficult to come to a decision.
-We're concerned about the lack of action on replacing the existing bridge, particularly it' it is closed to lorries after 2013as has been reported," he adds.
The Scotsman newspaper has been calling on the Scottish Executive to make an urgent decision about securing a second crossing.
• The Scottish Executive is carrying out a study into the costs and impact of keeping and removing tolls from the Forth and Tay road hridges.Tolls on the Erskine Bridge were removed in March. but MSPs voted for further examination of tolls on Tay and Forth.
Glaneey points out that hauliers have to make a 20-mile detour to avoid paying the toll: "We need incentives to keep us going not restrictions such as hikes in fuel duty and increased tolls."
THE FORTH ESTUARY Transport Authority (Feta) has hit out at Scottish press reports suggesting it is £15m in debt. A spokesman for Feta explains that an extra £15m will be needed to cover maintenance projects on the Forth Bridge, but stresses that any borrowed money will be paid back.
"It's not true to say that we're in debt at the moment," he says. "It's true that increasing maintenance demands mean that there could be a shortfall of £15m but we plan to pay this back as part of a 15-year capital plan." The spokesman adds that Feta relies on tolls to cover co for the Forth Bridge, and does not receive grants for maintenance work.