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Salmond under transport pressure MSPs vote to scrap bridge tolls
(about 14 hours later)
First Minister Alex Salmond has come under Labour pressure to keep the Edinburgh airport rail link and trams projects on track. MSPs have voted to scrap tolls on the Forth and Tay road bridges.
It came as the minority government is thought to have gathered enough MSP support to scrap tolls on the Tay and Forth road bridges. But the move came after a last-minute manoeuvre which saved the government from the prospect of its first defeat.
During First Minister's Question Time, Mr Salmond said he was not convinced about the Edinburgh transport projects. The SNP minority administration agreed to accept a cross-party amendment not to "arbitrarily" delay or cancel major transport projects in Edinburgh.
However, he was urged to continue with them without further delay. First Minister Alex Salmond earlier expressed concerns over the viability of the plans for an airport rail link and trams for the capital.
Following pressure from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Tories, the SNP administration will later accept a cross-party parliamentary amendment not to "arbitrarily" delay or cancel the Edinburgh tram and airport rail projects, which have already received parliamentary approval. They have already received parliamentary approval, but the new government is currently reviewing whether the projects represent value for money.
Binding decisions We're not putting up with it - the new politics is not what they want but what we'll let them deliver Des McNulty MSPLabour transport spokesman
Scottish Labour leader Jack McConnell demanded of the first minister: "Will you accept that decision and proceed with the new airport rail link with no further prevarication - yes or no?". Speaking in parliament, Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said legislation to scrap the tolls would be introduced in September.
Mr Salmond, who expressed concern about "cost over-run" in capital projects, said financial assessments would be brought to parliament at an early opportunity. "It is the government's view that tolls for users of the Forth and Tay road bridges should have been abolished once the tolls were lifted from the Erskine Bridge in May 2006," he told the Scottish Parliament.
He added: "Jack McConnell will know that as part of the perfectly normal constitutional arrangement, except in certain circumstances, the Scottish Executive is not necessarily bound by resolutions or motions passed by the Scottish Parliament." Labour transport spokesman Des McNulty said continuation of tolls when they had been removed on the Skye and Erskine bridges was perceived to be inequitable.
But he attacked the government over the wider question of transport strategy, saying it had not been made it clear how the replacement Forth crossing would be paid for.
'Slightly bizarre'
"These are important issues for Scotland - not things that can simply be decided on a whim, by an individual, by presidential decree," said Mr McNulty.
"We're not putting up with it - the new politics is not what they want but what we'll let them deliver."
Conservative transport spokesman Alex Johnstone backed the toll removal - but said that while his party wanted to see the trams and rail link proposals go ahead, they were "not handing out any blank cheques".
"We are concerned to ensure that there is proper evaluation of these and any other project that goes into the transport programme," said Mr Johnstone.
With the abolition of tolls on the Forth Bridge expected to increase traffic jams in and around Edinburgh, Lib Dem transport spokeswoman Alison McInnes stressed the importance of congestion-fighting measures.
MSPs also voted remove charges on the Tay
"That's why it is so important we consider trams and tolls in tandem," Ms McInnes said.
"We need an integrated transport system for our capital city. While bridge tolls became an issue for many during the election campaign, especially in Fife, for the Scottish Liberal Democrats our priority is to keep Scotland moving."
Green co-leader Robin Harper raised concern about parliament's decision, adding: "It seems to me slightly bizarre that we have a bridge that is under threat, we are told time and time again that the reason we need a replacement bridge is because this one is about to fall down."
Both bridges employ 150 staff, but it is expected that the Forth Estuary Transport Authority and the Tay Bridge Joint Board will stay on as road and traffic authorities.
The present toll income from both bridges is between £15m and £16m a year, but that cash would in effect be replaced by the government, not residents and businesses, Mr Stevenson said.
The executive would also take on to its own books the £15m in capital debt outstanding on the Tay Bridge.
A spokesman for the campaign group, the National Alliance Against Tolls Scotland (Naats), said: "The principle of removal of the tolls appears to have been accepted almost unanimously. We hope that the executive will now proceed as quickly as possible."
The decision to abolish bridge tolls was also welcomed by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.