Tay Road Bridge (Hansard, 10 May 1967)

§ 34. Sir J. Gilmour
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland by what amount the traffic over the Tay Road Bridge has exceeded the estimates put forward by the Road Bridge Authority at the time of the public inquiry last year.

§ Dr. Dickson Mabon
The Joint Board's estimate of an average of 4,000 vehicles a day was exceeded during the period up to 27th April by 1,900 vehicles a day.

§ Sir J. Gilmour
In view of this large increase in the traffic, would the hon. Gentleman not agree that it is essential to make the road from the south end of the Tay Bridge to its junction with the main east-west trunk road at Melville crossroads a trunk road?

§ Dr. Mabon
That is a non sequitur of the first order. The level of tolls and, no doubt, the other matter which the hon. Gentleman raised can come up under Section 88 of the Tay Bridge Order, 1962. We can look at this matter when the first 12 months have expired—that is to say, in August this year.

§ Mr. Doig
Would my hon. Friend exert pressure to have the tolls for public service vehicles on this bridge reduced, as the income is higher than was expected, bearing in mind that the rail services are cut drastically from this week?

§ Dr. Mabon
My hon. Friend will recognise that the Secretary of State cannot review this matter until August, 1967, when, of course, we must consult the Joint Board first and listen to any other representations.

§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyne
Is there any connection between the higher traffic which crosses the bridge and the scandalous decision to postpone indefinitely the "trunking" of the A94? Would the hon. Gentleman not agree that that road still carries the vast majority of the longdistance traffic from central Scotland to the North-East, regardless of the Tay Road Bridge?

§ Dr. Mabon
The hon. Gentleman has it wrong. We are not postponing it indefinitely. As I said earlier, this matter will be discussed next week and will, of course, come up again when the Tay-side Study is completed in the summer of next year. Obviously, that will be the right time to make that decision.