WWF-UK: Keep the Tolls WWF tells Government
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Keep the Tolls WWF tells Government
Tuesday 18 September 2007
Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland, will be giving evidence about the proposals to scrap tolls on the Forth and Tay Road Bridges to the Scottish Parliament's Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee
Commenting in advance he said:
"On economic, social and environmental grounds there is simply no justification for scrapping these tolls. Congestion will be made worse, costing the Scottish economy half a billion pounds over the life of the bridges, local pollution and climate change emissions will increase and the less well off will have to pay for the privileged to commute into Edinburgh. The rumoured one-off cost of scrapping the tolls would pay for 10 new train stations.
"The worst aspect of this proposal is the message that it sends out that it is ok to drive everywhere. The SNP Government know that their biggest challenge is matching their transport plans with their excellent climate change proposals. Allowing short-term political expediency to outweigh common sense will only make their job harder."
"On economic, social and environmental grounds there is simply no justification for scrapping these tolls. Congestion will be made worse, costing the Scottish economy half a billion pounds over the life of the bridges, local pollution and climate change emissions will increase and the less well off will have to pay for the privileged to commute into Edinburgh. The rumoured one-off cost of scrapping the tolls would pay for 10 new train stations.
"The worst aspect of this proposal is the message that it sends out that it is ok to drive everywhere. The SNP Government know that their biggest challenge is matching their transport plans with their excellent climate change proposals. Allowing short-term political expediency to outweigh common sense will only make their job harder."
