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Rennie Calls for Bridge Board to be Scrapped
March 2, 2006 9:19 AM
Call to scrap Forth transport authority
By Steve Bargeton, political editor
THE LONG-TERM future of the body which wants to bring in controversial £4 peak time tolls for Forth road bridge commuters looked increasingly doubtful last night.
In a significant intervention, Liberal Democrat MP Willie Rennie publicly called for the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) to be scrapped.
Mr Rennie snatched the Labour stronghold of Dunfermline and West Fife in a by- election earlier this month on a platform of opposition to the £4 toll. But despite almost universal condemnation of the £4 plan, and the fact that ministers are set to formally reject variable tolls on the Forth bridge next week, FETA has refused to withdraw or modify its proposals.
Last night Mr Rennie said that it was now obvious that FETA was out of touch with public and political opinion and had to go.
Although abolishing FETA-whose board is made up of local councillors from both sides of the Forth estuary-is not Liberal Democrat policy, The Courier understands that such a move is being considered as a party manifesto pledge for the Holyrood elections next year.
Speaking exclusively to The Courier Mr Rennie said he would be writing to his Liberal Democrat colleague transport minister Tavish Scott formally asking him to abolish FETA.
"I think they (FETA) are quite remote from how commuters and people are thinking," said the MP. "I think they should be scrapped.
"I will be writing to Tavish Scott and asking him to do that."
Mr Rennie said that the Dunfermline and West by-election, which saw all the main political parties and senior figures such as the Chancellor Gordon Brown and First Minister Jack McConnell rubbish the £4 toll plan, has had no effect on FETA.
"I think that a body like FETA should respond in some way, but it has not.
"It is a body which clearly doesn't have enough importance in the eyes of councils in the areas to send senior councillors to it and it should go."
Mr Rennie confirmed that scrapping FETA was not Liberal Democrat policy. Asked if he thought it would become policy he said, "It might be," and described it as a "developing area".
"But it really needs to be done before then (the Holyrood elections) if we are planning for a new bridge," said Mr Rennie. "There really needs to be a serious body in charge."
This article was published in The Courier on Saturday 26 February 2006
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