Hauliers may beat Edinburgh car toll
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by David Craik III Hauliers should be exempt from paying tolls to enter Edinburgh when they are introduced in the next century.
Proposals from David Begg, Transport Convener of City Of Edinburgh Council, include a flat rate of E1 for all cars entering the city. The tolls will be designed to recoup the costs of a private consortium which is building a new public transport network in the city.
It is not yet clear if hauliers will have to pay. "Hauliers are not the target in this plan although we have yet to decide who will be exempt and how much the toll charge will be," says Begg, who believes that the proposals could cut hauliers' costs: "Congestion is the hauliers' greatest fear and Edinburgh has the fastest growing car ownership in Europe. By 2010 we will be seeing 20-mile queues from the West on the M8, and other large queues from the North. This is the trend. Our proposals will free space in Edinburgh for hauliers."
And he promises that if tolls are imposed on the city they will be withdrawn from the Forth Bridge. "These proposals could potentially provide big savings for hauliers." says Begg.
He will meet with council representatives from the Firth of Forth and the Borders next month to discuss the plan.