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SCOTTISH TRANSPORT STATISTICS No 22 - 2003 Edition
Chapter 4 TOLL BRIDGES
1. Introduction
1.1 This chapter provides information about traffic levels and tolls levied on Scotland's toll bridges.
2. Main Points
2.1 11.7 million vehicles were recorded as crossing the Forth Road Bridge northbound in 2002. From 1 September 1997, one-way tolls were introduced for the Forth Road Bridge, and southbound crossings were no longer counted. Therefore, this figure represents only around half of the number of crossings. By doubling this figure, an estimated total of around 23.4 million vehicles crossed the bridge in 2002 (about 64,000 per day), more than in any previous year. The estimated total for 2002 was 3.4% more than in the previous year, and 31% higher than the 17.8 million crossings in 1992. The tolls levied in 2002 totalled 9.6 million.
2.2 There were over 4.2 million vehicles crossing southbound on the Tay Bridge in 2002. Doubling this figure gives an estimate of over 8.4 million vehicles crossing the bridge that year, or around 23,100 per day, more than in any previous year. The estimated total for 2002 was 2.8% more than the previous year and 21% above the figure for 1992. (Tolls on the Tay Bridge have been collected only for southbound vehicles since 1 June 1991: northbound crossings are not counted). The tolls levied in 2002 totalled 3.4 million.
2.3 Almost 9.5 million vehicles crossed the Erskine Bridge in 2002 (about 26,000 per day), more than any previous year. There was an increase of 5.9% over the previous year, and 40% more than in 1992. The tolls levied in 2002 totalled 5.4 million.
2.4 The Skye Bridge had 718,000 vehicle crossings in 2002 (around 2,000 per day), more than any previous year. The total was about 7.8% more than the previous year. A total of 4.0 million was levied in tolls.
3. Notes and Definitions
3.1 There are four toll bridges in Scotland. The Forth Road Bridge was opened to traffic on 4 September 1964, the Tay Bridge on 18 August 1966, the Erskine Bridge on 2 July 1971 and the Skye Bridge on 16 October 1995.
3.2 From 1 June 1991 one way tolls were introduced for Tay Bridge southbound crossings. Northbound vehicles are no longer counted.
3.3 From 1 September 1997, one-way tolls were introduced for Forth Road Bridge northbound crossings. Southbound vehicles are no longer counted.
3.4 Figures for the Erskine Bridge have been collected, from 1997 onwards, directly from the bridge and do not include any adjustments for violations etc. This change affects the total by less than 0.5%.
3.5 The " average tolls" shown in the table were calculated by dividing the total amounts of tolls levied by the total numbers of recorded crossings (the latter including recorded crossings by vehicles which were exempt from paying the tolls).
3.6 The "constant price" figures for tolls levied and average tolls were calculated by adjusting for general inflation using the Retail Prices Index.
4. Sources
4.1 The Forth Road Bridge is run by the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) whose members are drawn from City of Edinburgh, Fife, Perth & Kinross and West Lothian Councils. FETA was established in April 2002 and replaced the former Forth Bridge Joint Board as the authority with full responsibility for the running of the Bridge, and provides the statistics to the Scottish Executive.
4.2 The Tay bridge is run by a Joint Board whose members are drawn from Fife and Dundee Councils. The Board has full responsibility for the running of the bridge, and provides the statistics to the Scottish Executive.
4.3 The Erskine Bridge is a trunk road bridge and is the responsibility of Scottish Ministers.
4.4 The Skye Bridge is run by Skye Bridge Limited, which provides the statistics to the Scottish Executive.
5. Further Information
5.1 For further information on toll bridges phone Lynne Duff of the Scottish Executive Transport Division 1 (tel: 0131 244 7270).
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