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2. Introduction

2.1 Background to the Tolled Bridges Review Phase Two Consultation

The Executive's Partnership Agreement includes the following commitment:

" We will improve access for our rural communities by reviewing existing bridge tolls in Scotland and entering into negotiations with a view to ending the discredited toll regime for the Skye Bridge."¹

The Scottish Executive's Transport White Paper published on 16 June 2004 outlined the approach for the review of existing bridge tolls in Scotland:

" There will be a two-Phase review of tolled bridges. The first Phase will deal with all existing tolls. It will assess all existing tolls, including the way in which potential changes to tolls could help achieve our environmental and economic objectives of reducing pollution and congestion. The second Phase will include an examination of the broader issues relating to the management, operation and maintenance of the tolled bridges. This will also include an assessment of how the tolled bridges relate to the new regional and national transport arrangements."²

The first phase of the review ³ examined the existing tolling structures, including the impact of tolls and the way in which potential changes to tolls could help achieve the Scottish Executive's environmental and economic objectives of reducing pollution and congestion. The information gathered from Phase One was considered by Ministers in November 2004 and helped to identify a range of issues to be taken forward during Phase Two.

Some of the issues to be covered in Phase Two have been taken forward internally or in consultation with relevant experts and professionals. However, there are a number of broad issues which are of wider concern and interest and the purpose of the Phase Two consultation was to set out these issues and seek views on the options for future management arrangements in relation to tolled bridges in Scotland.

The findings from this consultation will inform the Scottish Executive's Report on Phase Two of the Tolled Bridges Review, which is expected to be completed later this summer.

2.2 Scope of Consultation Exercise

The Tolled Bridges Review Phase Two Consultation Paper ⁴ posed twenty specific questions organised around two central themes:

• factors to be considered when setting tolling levels (questions 1 to 12)
• future management arrangements (questions 13 to 20)

The twenty questions are reproduced at Annex 5.1

The Consultation Paper sought stakeholders' views on the presumption that tolling will continue at each of Scotland's three tolled bridges. This approach did not mean that a decision had already been taken to retain tolls - it has not. As an evidence-based policy decision on whether to retain or remove tolls can only be made on the basis of understanding all the implications of all the options, informing this policy decision is the aim of the two-phased Tolled Bridges Review.

Consequences of removing and retaining tolls at each bridge were considered in some detail in Phase Oneiii and, as a result, a decision to end the discredited Skye Bridge tolling regime was taken. The further information gathered during Phase Two will enable the Scottish Ministers to decide the most appropriate course or courses of action for the remaining three tolled bridges. This will include full consideration of the consequences of retaining and removing their tolls.

2.3 The Consultation Process

The Tolled Bridges Review Phase Two consultation period began on 8 April 2005 when the Consultation Paper was published on the Scottish Executive's Consultation web site. On the same day, a copy of the Consultation Paper was distributed to around one hundred key stakeholders and all Members of the Scottish Parliament. Both the web and paper versions of the Consultation Paper contained an invitation to participate in the consultation process from the (then) Minister for Transport. A copy of the invitation to participate is provided at Appendix 5.2 and the distribution list is provided at Appendix 5.3.

The consultation period ended on 8 July 2005, although responses received up to 25 July 2005 have been included in this Report.

Members of the Executive's Tolled Bridges Review team also held a series of meetings with key stakeholders during June 2005 to discuss the twenty questions contained in the Consultation Paper. Invitees included: Local Authority transport officials, members of the Forth Estuary Transport Authority and the Tay Road Bridge Joint Board, transport providers, lobby groups and representative organisations.

2.4 Respondents' Profile

Sixty-three written responses were received. Thirty-seven responses were received from the original distribution list, and a further twenty-six responses were received from other organisations and individuals. The thirty-seven respondents are indicated by boldface text at Annex 5.3 and details of the additional twenty-six respondents are provided at Annex 5.4.

Each of the sixty-three respondents has been assigned to one of twelve broad stakeholder categories. The number of responses received from each of these twelve categories is indicated in the table below.

Key to abbreviations:

LA: Local Authority
Rep. Org.: Representative Organisation
OPB: Other Public Body
Business: Business Sector
MSP: Member of the Scottish Parliament
RTP: Regional Transport Partnership

Most stakeholders who attended one of the consultation meetings also provided independent written responses, which count among the sixty-three responses received.

2.5 Public Access to Written Responses

All respondents were asked whether their written responses could be published in accordance with Scottish Executive practice. Copies of all responses have been placed in the Scottish Executive Library, K Spur, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh, EH11 3XD for public access. Copies of non-confidential responses can be viewed by visiting the library or can also be provided by post. Charges for photocopies are made on a cost-recovery basis. To request copies by post, enquire about charges or make an appointment to view responses at the library, contact the Library by telephone on 0131 244 4565 or by email at SELibrary@scotland.gsi.gov.uk .

Copies of non-confidential responses can be viewed have also been posted on the Scottish Executive consultation web pages at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations .

2.6 Presentation of the Data

2.6.1 Qualification

It is important to note that the findings of this Report are specific to the Tolled Bridges Review Phase Two Consultation exercise and do not purport to reflect the weight, range or diversity of views within the population as a whole as respondents have not been representatively sampled.

2.6.2 Evidence Included in the Findings

Most written responses were organised around the twenty questions posed in the Consultation Paper. Some responses to a particular question were more relevant to other questions and others were provided in a free style. As far as possible, comments were grouped under the most relevant question or questions and analysed accordingly.

Comments made at meetings but not reflected in written responses have also been incorporated into this report. However, as Chatham House rules were observed during those meetings, the verbal comments are not attributed.

Respondents suggested a large number of specific changes and ideas. In addition, many respondents offered views, and reasons for those views, on matters beyond those raised in the Consultation Paper, particularly in relation to tolling strategy. It is not possible to detail the entire range and diversity of comments made in the written responses and meetings in a summary document such as this report. The intention of this report is to provide a general summary of the themes of the consultation and an overview of the evidence. Accordingly, this report should not be interpreted as a "compendium" of every point made in response to the Consultation Paper.

However, all of the original responses to the consultation, containing all of the detailed individual points made in relation to each question are available to, and will be considered by, those involved in drafting the report on Phase Two of the Tolled Bridges Review.

2.6.3 Type of Information Received

The analysis process involved the gathering of both quantitative and qualitative material provided in response to the consultation exercise. Although there were some straightforward closed - "yes" / "no" - questions, most information received was of a qualitative nature.

2.6.3.1 Written vs. Verbal Comments

Comments made at meetings but not reflected in written responses have been incorporated into this report but have not been included in counts of overall responses to the twenty questions, nor in counts of responses to quantitative questions.

2.6.3.2 Quantitative Evidence

For each quantitative question, responses were counted and results are presented. Quantitative counts include only those responses that unequivocally stated the respondent's view in writing. As not all respondents addressed closed questions directly and as some evaluated issues without committing to a particular opinion, the number of quantitative responses to a particular question is generally less than the total number of responses received to that question.

2.6.3.3 Qualitative Evidence

Questions 13 to 19 invited respondents to consider several different management options/models for the Scottish tolled bridges. As respondents were not asked to indicate which option/model they preferred for a particular bridge or particular bridges, such quantitative information is not presented. By inviting respondents to comment on each option/model, it was hoped that a fuller range of advantages and disadvantages would be identified.

For each qualitative question in the Consultation Paper, themes were identified from respondents' comments and relevant responses were grouped into each of these themes. This allowed the range and diversity of opinions to be identified. Although this method also allowed the number of respondents who expressed a particular view to be calculated, it is considered inappropriate to present this data quantitatively for the following reasons:

• The qualitative questions allowed respondents scope in where, and how, their views were expressed, making it necessary to assess which comment related to which question. Suggestions would not necessarily be 'counted' where they were expressed, making it impossible to count accurately the number of responses that mentioned each issue at each question.
• Some responses represented the views of a number of people and in most cases it was not possible to count the number of people represented. For example:
• some responses from Lobby Groups and Representative Organisations reflected the results of further consultation among their membership
• one Local Councillor submission was made on behalf of a group of Councillors
• Although some responses explicitly did or did not relate to all three bridges, the relevance of some responses to one or more particular bridge was not always evident.
• Respondents to this consultation cannot be assumed to be representative of their sector.

For these reasons, there is no specific reference to the number of respondents making specific qualitative comments, although broad patterns are highlighted.

2.6.3.4 Summary of Counts Undertaken

The counts presented in this report are therefore restricted to three types:

• the number of written responses received to the consultation paper as a whole
• for each of the twenty questions - the number of respondents who gave a written response
• for each of the quantitative questions - the number of respondents who expressed an unequivocal opinion in writing

In each case, the count reflects the number of responses by stakeholder type.

2.7 Factual Accuracy

The views presented in this analysis have not been vetted in any way for factual accuracy. The opinions and comments submitted to the consultation may be based on fact or may, indeed, be based on what respondents perceive to be accurate from their perspective, but which others may interpret differently. The report may, therefore, contain analysis of responses which may be factually inaccurate, but are objective in terms of their reflection of respondents' perceptions.

2.8 Structure of the Report

This report presents the findings of the Tolled Bridges Review Phase Two Consultation. The findings are grouped into two main sections which reflect the two main themes of the consultation paper: Tolling Strategy ( Chapter 3) and Management Options ( Chapter 4).

Both chapters begin with details of the responses received for each of the relevant questions before presenting the findings. Both chapters end with a final 'Other Comments' section where additional themes and issues not covered by the twenty questions are highlighted.

An Executive Summary of the findings is provided at Chapter 1.

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