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SCOTTISH TRANSPORT STATISTICS: No 21

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 11.3 million vehicles were recorded as crossing the Forth Road Bridge northbound in 2001. 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 22.6 million vehicles crossed the bridge in 2001 (about 61,900 per day), more than in any previous year. The estimated total for 2001 is 34% higher than the 16.9 million crossings in 1991. The tolls levied in 2001 totalled £9.3 million.

2.2 There were almost 4.1 million vehicles crossing southbound on the Tay Bridge in 2001. Doubling this figure gives an estimate of almost 8.2 million vehicles crossing the bridge that year, or around 22,400 per day. The estimated total for 2001 was 1.4% more than the previous year and 22% above the figure for 1991. (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 2001 totalled £3.3 million.

2.3 Almost 9.4 million vehicles crossed the Erskine Bridge in 2001 (about 25,600 per day), an increase of 8% over the previous year, and 32% more than in 1991. Tolls levied in 2001 were not available at the time of going to press.

2.4 The Skye Bridge had 666,000 vehicle crossings in 2001 (around 1,800 per day), about 1.3% less than the previous year. A total of £3.6 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 Both the Forth and Tay bridges are run by Joint Boards whose members are drawn from Edinburgh and Fife Councils, and Fife and Dundee Councils respectively. The two boards have full responsibility for the running of the bridges, and provide the statistics to the Scottish Executive.

4.2 The Erskine Bridge is a trunk road bridge and is the responsibility of Scottish Ministers.

4.3 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 Quentin Fisher of The Scottish Executive Transport Division 1 (tel: 0131 244 7270)

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