§ 26. Mr. Ian Campbellasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the promised review of the operation and charges of Erskine Bridge will take place.
§ Mr. YoungerPreliminary traffic studies are in progress, but I cannot yet say when the review will be completed.
§ Mr. CampbellIs the Minister aware that hon. Members will be very pleased to see that the bridge has been given the British Steel Corporation Award? As the judge said, it is one of the finest examples of courageous British engineering and I should add that it was built without a fatality. Now that the proposals for reorganisation of local government have been published and the north and south banks will be brought under one body, will the Secretary of State ensure, when the review takes place, that tolls are abolished and that proper integration for industry and manpower on both sides of the river can take place?
§ Mr. YoungerI associate myself with what the hon. Member says about the award. It is a very satisfactory outcome from those who were involved in the construction of the bridge. Tolls are one of the things which must be studied in considering the effect of the traffic trends.
§ Sir J. GilmourWill my hon. Friend look with favour at any proposals for amending legislation to allow those who travel regularly across the bridge to have season tickets, a facility they are not permitted under present legislation?
§ Mr. YoungerThat is another point which can be taken into account.
§ Mr. BuchanThe suggestion by the hon. Member for Fife, East (Sir J. Gilmour) can be implemented now. There is a season ticket experiment on other bridges and people who live in Erskine have to cross the bridge as much as four times a day, which means an extra £3 a week. Will the Minister speed up the review in order to get rid of the tolls?
§ Mr. YoungerWe want to conduct the review against the full figures of traffic flow and so forth and it cannot be conducted in any other fashion. The hon. Member's other suggestion can certainly be taken into account.