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| Labour move to scrap bridge tolls | Labour move to scrap bridge tolls |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Labour has pledged to scrap tolls on the Tay Bridge and remove some charges on the Forth road crossing. | Labour has pledged to scrap tolls on the Tay Bridge and remove some charges on the Forth road crossing. |
| The party's Scottish leader Jack McConnell said it would help tackle congestion in Dundee city centre. | The party's Scottish leader Jack McConnell said it would help tackle congestion in Dundee city centre. |
| He also proposed to end tolls for cars with more than one occupant on the Forth Bridge, with the regime change coming early in the next parliament. | He also proposed to end tolls for cars with more than one occupant on the Forth Bridge, with the regime change coming early in the next parliament. |
| The SNP, who are committed to abolition of all bridge tolls, claimed their pressure had led to a Labour U-turn. | The SNP, who are committed to abolition of all bridge tolls, claimed their pressure had led to a Labour U-turn. |
| Mr McConnell said: "We have been considering the impact on the Fife economy, and on traffic congestion, of changing the current tolls. | Mr McConnell said: "We have been considering the impact on the Fife economy, and on traffic congestion, of changing the current tolls. |
| "I am still concerned that removing tolls completely on the Forth Bridge could lead to increased traffic congestion. | "I am still concerned that removing tolls completely on the Forth Bridge could lead to increased traffic congestion. |
| (Jack McConnell) has had five years to scrap tolls, and has done nothing about it Shona Robison MSPSNP, Dundee East | |
| "Ending the revenue stream from tolls before detailed costs and proposals are prepared for a new crossing of the Forth is simply irresponsible." | "Ending the revenue stream from tolls before detailed costs and proposals are prepared for a new crossing of the Forth is simply irresponsible." |
| He added that providing an incentive for people to car-share would cut congestion and may help to extend the life of the current road bridge. | He added that providing an incentive for people to car-share would cut congestion and may help to extend the life of the current road bridge. |
| The SNP, Mr McConnell claimed, were incapable of taking difficult decisions and were acting irresponsibly when it came to protecting the environment and controlling government spending. | The SNP, Mr McConnell claimed, were incapable of taking difficult decisions and were acting irresponsibly when it came to protecting the environment and controlling government spending. |
| A Holyrood debate earlier in the year on scrapping tolls on the Forth and Tay road bridges ended in stalemate when the parliament failed to agree a position. | A Holyrood debate earlier in the year on scrapping tolls on the Forth and Tay road bridges ended in stalemate when the parliament failed to agree a position. |
| The result came after Labour and Liberal Democrat MSPs from the east coast spoke out against the charges. | The result came after Labour and Liberal Democrat MSPs from the east coast spoke out against the charges. |
| SNP Dundee East MSP Shona Robison said Mr McConnell was now panicking under pressure from her party and had been "forced into following where the SNP has led". | SNP Dundee East MSP Shona Robison said Mr McConnell was now panicking under pressure from her party and had been "forced into following where the SNP has led". |
| Labour has decided against scrapping all charges on the Forth | |
| "He has had five years to scrap tolls, and has done nothing about it, which makes this another empty promise," she said. | "He has had five years to scrap tolls, and has done nothing about it, which makes this another empty promise," she said. |
| "People know that only an SNP government can be trusted to scrap the tolls." | "People know that only an SNP government can be trusted to scrap the tolls." |
| The tolls commitment came as Scottish Labour was putting the finishing touches to its manifesto. | The tolls commitment came as Scottish Labour was putting the finishing touches to its manifesto. |
| Campaign group, the National Alliance Against Tolls Scotland (Naats) said Labour's toll plans for the Forth Road Bridge were "insane". | |
| "Congestion is caused by the inadequacies of the A8000/M9 spur and by the toll collection itself," said a spokesman. | |
| The group also claimed that keeping Forth tolls because of the prospect of a new road crossing was a red herring, as such a move may be privately financed and tolled. |