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SCOTTISH TRANSPORT STATISTICS No 23: 2004 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 About 12 million vehicles were recorded as crossing the Forth Road Bridge northbound in 2003. By doubling this figure, an estimated total of around 24 million vehicles crossed the bridge in 2003 (about 65,800 per day), more than in any previous year. The estimated total for 2003 was 3% more than in the previous year, and 32% higher than the 18.2 million crossings in 1993. The tolls levied in 2003 totalled almost £9.8 million.

2.2 There were over 4.3 million vehicles crossing southbound on the Tay Bridge in 2003. Doubling this figure gives an estimate of nearly 8.7 million vehicles crossing the bridge that year, or around 23,800 per day, more than in any previous year. The estimated total for 2003 was 3% more than the previous year and 25% above the figure for 1993. The tolls levied in 2003 totalled £3.5 million.

2.3 Almost 9.7 million vehicles crossed the Erskine Bridge in 2003 (about 26,500 per day), more than any previous year. There was an increase of 2% over the previous year and 42% more than in 1993. The tolls levied in 2003 totalled nearly £5.5 million.

2.4 The Skye Bridge had 756,000 vehicle crossings in 2003 (around 2,100 per day), more than any previous year. The total was about 5% more than the previous year. A total of £4.1 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 From 1997 onwards figures for the Erskine Bridge have been collected 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. It provides the statistics to the Scottish Executive.

4.2 The Tay Bridge is run by a Joint Board whose members are drawn from Dundee City, Fife and Angus 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 the Scottish Ministers.

4.4 The Skye Bridge is a trunk road bridge, owned by the Scottish Ministers. It is operated under a Private Finance Initiative concession 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).

Figure 4.1 Vehicle crossings

1. From September 19978, one way tolls were introduced on the forth road Bridge, for northbound crossings.
Southbound vehicles are no longer counted.
Figures for September 1997 onwards are the estimated number of crossings in both directions.
2. From 1 June 1991 one way tolls were introduced on the Tay Road Bridge, for southbound crossings.
Northbound vehicles were no longer counted.
Figures are therefore the estimated number of crossings in both directions.

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