Will road tolls return to Scottish transport? The story so far

Following the January publication of the Transport Scotland paper "A route map to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in car kilometres by 2030", reports said that toll reintroduction is now regarded as “inevitable” by Scottish Government ministers.

Despite this, no U-turn has yet taken place – the possibility has merely been floated by Transport Scotland as an option that will be explored through additional research throughout the year.

This was sufficient to provoke denunciation however, with Scottish Labour transport spokesperson Neil Bibby (below) telling the National: “If the transport minister is going to reintroduce tolls on the Forth and Tay bridges then the public need to know.

“Instead of hammering commuters in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, we should be trying to make green and public transport affordable, accessible and convenient.”

WHAT’S THE HISTORY?

In Scotland, tolls were first abolished by the Roads and Bridges (Scotland) Act 1878, which stated “all highways shall be open to the public free from tolls and other exactions". For almost a century thereafter, Scotland was toll-free, until the building of major crossings in the post-war period, for which tolls were introduced.

Almost as soon as the Forth Road Bridge was opened in 1964, questions were being raised in parliament about the abolition of its toll. The issue would still be vexatious thirty years later, when the privately funded Skye Bridge opened in 1995 and quickly became the most expensive toll bridge in Europe. A bitter campaign of non-payment saw hundreds arrested and 130 convicted.

While the hated Skye Bridge (below) toll ended in 2004, it was the first ever SNP government that finally passed the Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Bill in 2007 – an achievement SNP MSPs marked by driving across the Forth in vintage cars.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING?

Now however, Transport Scotland suspects that times have changed. Citing research from the Social Market Foundation, their route map argues “the public mood on road pricing has moved on since the 2000s, and that in 2021 more people support than oppose road pricing as a concept, with a majority of people agreeing that road pricing would reduce congestion and pollution". 

As public consultation on the route map remains open until April 6 this year, we have almost two months to find out if this analysis holds true.

In 2008, environmental groups such as WWF Scotland were among the few to condemn the abolition of bridge tolls, arguing that it would increase emissions and local pollution.

READ MORE: Tunnels to replace ferries and a Clyde Metro map – here's what's in the Scottish transport review

These sentiments were echoed by Friends of the Earth Scotland campaigner Gavin Thomson, who commented: “Transport is Scotland’s biggest source of climate emissions, so we need to make urgent changes to the way we move around. The Scottish Government has signaled that this could, eventually, include road user charging - a policy also being explored by the Welsh Government.

"Road user charging would charge vehicles for the use of key roads, such as motorways. This money could then be invested in public transport.”

Jim Densham, campaigns and policy manager in Scotland for Cycling UK, added: “Government and councils must take some tough decisions about this in coming years but introduce new charges fairly and in ways designed to get environmental results rather than just raise money. Bridge tolls could help to equalise the cost of a car journey compared to taking the alternative train or bus trip.”

ARE THERE OTHER OPTIONS?

Some are unconvinced. Pat Rafferty, Unite’s Scottish Secretary, argues that instead of a new toll, "we should be charging companies like Shell and BP on their record profits, and investing that money into public transport networks".

He went on: “Bigger and better bus networks, built here in Scotland by Alexander Dennis and controlled by local authorities, would be a welcome step to making travel more efficient and accountable to passenger’s needs.

“More rail links would also allow people and goods to travel larger distances, often in quicker times, but the current network needs massive investment and expansion. The re-opening of the Caley Rail works in Springburn to provide these trains would be a welcome addition to Scotland’s industrial capability, and that should be funded by taxing profits, not drivers."

“Workers should not have to pay more, and nor should these costs be passed onto our communities," he added.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

In 2018, former SNP MSP Tricia Marwick, who helped lead the charge against tolls in Scotland, reflected on the 10th anniversary of their abolition: “Will the tolls ever return?” she wondered.

“I think any government proposing that would be faced with so much opposition that they would back off very quickly.”

If the Scottish Government decides to pursue Transport Scotland’s proposal, we may quickly discover whether Marwick’s prediction was correct.