Scots promise no trunk road tolls
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• by Karen Miles Hopes are rising that operators will be exempt from tolls on existing motorways following a decision to pull back from imposing charges on Scotland's trunk road network.
Scottish Transport Minister Sarah Boyack has told the Scottish Parliament that she has not ruled out tolls on future trunk roads but will not impose them on existing inter-urban motorways and trunk roads.
There was already a firm belief that UK Transport Secretary John Prescott would not bring forward legislation to impose tolls on existing motorways In England and Wales--Boyack's decision is being taken as another signal that Prescott will not tax road users in this way.
His planned Transport Bill will be outlined in next Wednesday's Queen's Speech; he is expected to give local authorities the power to demand tolls from road users entering town centres.
Boyack also announced the construction of five new road projects to be completed within three years, including a motorway upgrade of the 477 Fenwick-Malletsheugh blackspot. The British Roads Federation expects this stretch to remain free of tolls.
The Al between Haddington and Dunbar will be upgraded to a dual carriageway; nearly 25% of all vehicles using this stretch are trucks.
Bypasses will be built on the A96 at Fochabers and the 478 at Ardrossan to Sattcoats; a dual carriageway will be constructed on the A830 Arisaig-Kinsadel road.
BRF director Richard Dirnent welcomes the projects but points out that Edinburgh will still not be linked into the national motorway system, ''not even to Glasgow, let alone London".