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 2004. By doubling this figure, an estimated total of around 24 million vehicles crossed the bridge in 2004 (about 64,400 per day). The estimated total for 2004 was 1.9% less than in the previous year, due to weekend carriageway closures in the summer months for planned maintenance work, but 24% higher than the 18.9 million crossings in 1994. The tolls levied in 2004 totalled £9.6 million.
2.2 There were over 4.4 million vehicles crossing southbound on the Tay Bridge in 2004. Doubling this figure gives an estimate of around 8.9 million vehicles crossing the bridge that year, or around 24,400 per day, more than in any previous year. The estimated total for 2004 was 2.8% more than the previous year and 24% above the figure for 1994. The tolls levied in 2004 totalled £3.6 million.
2.3 About 10 million vehicles crossed the Erskine Bridge in 2004 (about 27,400 per day), more than any previous year. There was an increase of 3.6% over the previous year and 46% more than in 1994. The tolls levied in 2004 totalled over £5.6 million.
2.4 The Skye Bridge had 769,000 vehicle crossings in 2004 prior to the removal of the tolls on 21 December. This represented an average of around 2,200 per day, more than in any previous year. The total was about 1.7% more than the figure for the whole of the previous year. A total of £4.4 million was levied in tolls.
3. Notes and Definitions
3.1 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%. Prior to 2004, the figures for crossings and tolls levied on the Erskine Bridge are for financial years - e.g. the "2003" figure relates to the period from 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004. From 2004, the "crossings" and "tolls levied" figures shown are for calendar years.
3.5 Tolls were removed from Skye Bridge on 21 December 2004, therefore the 2004 figures cover only the period before that date.
3.6 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).
3.7 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 owned and operated 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 owned and operated by the Tay Road Bridge 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 Tolls were removed from Skye Bridge on 21 December 2004. The Executive, as a trunk road authority, took over formal responsibility for the Bridge from 1 January 2005. Until 21 December 2004 Skye Bridge was operated under a Private Finance Initiative concession by Skye Bridge Limited, which provided the statistics to the Scottish Executive.
5. Further Information
5.1 For further information on toll bridges phone Lynne Duff of the Scottish Executive Roads Policy and Group Finance Division (tel: 0131 244 7270).
Figure 4.1 Vehicle crossings
