Euro inquiry could stop bridge tolls
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• Hauliers could have a toll-free Skye Bridge if the European Commission undertakes an inquiry into the beleaguered project, say members of pressure group Skye and Kyle Against The Tolls (SKAT).
John Campbell, legal spokesman for SKAT, says a Commission inquiry would reveal that the project has broken the Treaty of Rome, signalling the end of toll charging on the bridge.
Campbell says the treaty has been broken on competition grounds against the ferry companies in the area, claiming that the bridge runs almost a fulltime monopoly on crossing the stretch of water. It also breaks the treaty, he says, as "the bridge has clearly not helped the islands or local businesses economically."
Myrna Moncrieff, of SKAT, says Europe is now the only route available for toll abolition. She says the UK Government's recent announcement to reduce toll charges (CM 18-31 December 1997) is "the last thing they will do."