Kessock Bridge, why no Tolls?

[Duncan macknight]

Forth, Tay, Erskine, Skye all had tolls on them from opening except Kessock. Just seems a bit strange. There are 2 large lay-bys on the south side of the bridge which could be space left for future tolls.
https://www.instantstreetview.com/@57.4 ... -12.93p,1z


Any ideas??

[Nwallace]

I've a feeling the answer will be found somewhere on Legislation.gov.uk but I've failed to find anything using the search terms Moray, Beauly or Kessock.

[Nwallace]

Searching Hansard now...

I've discovered that RET was explored in the 1970s for the ferries

[Nwallace]

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1 ... a9359aa396

Mr. Peter Fraser
Given the toll-free status that Kessock bridge will enjoy, as it spans tidal waters, does the Minister recognise that there are anomalies in the imposition of tolls, and not only in Scotland? Does he accept that if such anomalies are to be removed it must be done on a United Kingdom basis?

Mr. Rifkind
My hon. Friend is correct. There has to be a United Kingdom policy. The original construction of the Forth and Tay bridges went ahead when local authorities said that they would agree to the imposition of tolls, and successive Governments have supported that view.

Mr. William Hamilton
Is the Minister aware that I am one of the few hon. Members in the House who have been consistent throughout the years, despite changes in Government, about the need to abolish tolls on these bridges? Does he recognise that it is absurd that a motorist can travel from Land's End right through Fife, which is several hundred miles, and that the only bit of road that he has to pay for is that little bit ​ across the Firth of Forth? Is it not time that such nonsense was ended?

Mr. Rifkind
The hon. Gentleman should appreciate that half the debt outstanding on the Tay Bridge is due not to the Government but to local authorities. There would be significant consequences for ratepayers in the Tayside region if action were taken to get rid of the tolls.

Mr. Allan Stewart
Will my hon. Friend keep the situation of the Erskine bridge under particular scrutiny? Is it possible that the costs of collecting the tolls will exceed the revenue?

Mr. Rifkind
My hon. Friend is correct. It is difficult to set a realistic level of toll to cover the cost of the outstanding debt on the Erskine bridge, but it is clearly right and proper that those using the bridge should make a contribution comparable to that for other toll bridges in Scotland.

[Nwallace]

And The Fife Greivance...
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1 ... 937fbc09a2

Won't give the full text this time

Tolls are unfair because some bridges, such as the Forth and Tay, are subject to tolls, while others, such as Kessock and Ballachulish in Scotland, and many more in England, are not. Tolls are inexplicable because the Government cannot satisfactorily explain to anyone the criteria whereby tolls are selectively imposed. Tolls are also illogical. Their only public justification is that there are exceptional benefits to users, but Ministers have never been able to define those benefits, because they are not definable.

[Berk]

A “benefit” of paying a lower toll and time spent than a ferry crossing??

But yes, both the Forth and Tay bridges are also tidal, so why would the Kessock be any different??

[Nwallace]

A “benefit” of paying a lower toll and time spent than a ferry crossing??

But yes, both the Forth and Tay bridges are also tidal, so why would the Keswick be any different??

The reason is kind of half given in the various statements.

Ideology of the time
Funding methods
Who was building it in the first place.

The forth and Tay Bridges are owned and run by joint boards, the forth joint board has been consumed by FETA but that's a similar concept.
The joint boards are made up of the local councils.
Presumably the Kessock is and always has been under the control of transport Scotland and its predecessors?

I think the tidal comment ties to a series of unsatisfactory excuses given for the differences over the years.

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[KeithW]

The fact that the 1974 General election had produced a hung Parliament with the Labour Government depending on liberal support and that both the labour and liberals were under threat from the SNP at the time just might of had something to do with it don't you think ?

It worked by the way , in the 1974 election for the parliamentary seat of Inverness the Liberal just beat the SNP who were rapidly gaining support but by 1979 the SNP came third behind the the Liberals and Conservatives, the problem is that didnt work in the rest of the UK. You may recall how quickly the Humber Bridge was approved when an election was called and Hull was a key marginal.

[Nwallace]

Kessock was committed to in 1971 from what I read.

The increased need for oil traffic seems to be mentioned a lot as well as travel times.



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[Ruperts Trooper]

Why is tidal water relevant? London's bridges cross the tidal Thames but most are toll-free - while Swinford Toll Bridge is over the non-tidal Thames.

[Nwallace]

Why is tidal water relevant? London's bridges cross the tidal Thames but most are toll-free - while Swinford Toll Bridge is over the non-tidal Thames.

It seems to pop up out of nowhere in the hansard transcript from 1977, presumably its an excuse that's been given at some point before that exchange.

The Tay and forth Bridges cross the Firths, a firth is a sea loch, the Firths are tidal.


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[KeithW]

Kessock was committed to in 1971 from what I read.

The increased need for oil traffic seems to be mentioned a lot as well as travel times.



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There was an agreement in principle in 1971 by the Heath Government that bridges were needed across the Beauly Firth, Cromarty Firth and Dornoch Firth and work on the roads needed for those bridges had started. The same could not be said for the Kessck Bridge the estimated cost for which had been estimated at 6 to 8 million pounds had risen to 30 million as issues such as earthquakes along the Great Glen fault had to be taken into account. By 1976 there had been a change of government and while the approach roads were basically done little had in reality very little progress had been made on the Kessock Bridge and there was no final design. In part this was because the economy was in terrible shape, in 1976 the IMF had to bail the UK out. Oil work was indeed a factor as the Nigg Bay fabrication yard had opened in 1972 and the North Sea oil boom was at its peak (I was working on the Ekofisk project in Teesside at the time).
see https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hans ... oad-bridge

Finances were put in place, a contract awarded and work actually started on the bridge in 1976. Politics definitely played a part in the decisions made regarding tolls as the Labour Government relied on Liberal Support and Inverness was seen as a key marginal seat in Scotland. None of the parties wanted to incur the displeasure of local voters by imposing tolls.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverness ... stituency).

As I recall it was 1982 before the Kessock Bridge opened.

[rachandsarai]

Maybe cause Kessock Bridge is smaller and highland council probably didn't want the tolls there.

[djw1981]

Not sure what Highland Council would have had to do with it, construction began in 1976, Highland Council only came into existence in 1996, though Highland Region existed from 1975. Also IIRC the client was the Scottish Development Department (functions now given to Scottish Government agency Transport Scotland), the Herald at the time of Kessock opening wryly comment on the decision not to toll it.

[Berk]

Not sure what Highland Council would have had to do with it, construction began in 1976, Highland Council only came into existence in 1996, though Highland Region(al Council) existed from 1975. Also IIRC the client was the Scottish Development Department (functions now given to Scottish Government agency Transport Scotland), the Herald at the time of Kessock opening wryly comment on the decision not to toll it.

You’re taking it extremely literally. Whilst you’re basically correct, I believe the institution resided in the same locations/buildings/made use of the same staff.

The same institution, in all but name.

[tommym8]

Triggers Council

[djw1981]

Not sure what Highland Council would have had to do with it, construction began in 1976, Highland Council only came into existence in 1996, though Highland Region(al Council) existed from 1975. Also IIRC the client was the Scottish Development Department (functions now given to Scottish Government agency Transport Scotland), the Herald at the time of Kessock opening wryly comment on the decision not to toll it.

You’re taking it extremely literally. Whilst you’re basically correct, I believe the institution resided in the same locations/buildings/made use of the same staff.

The same institution, in all but name.

Pre 1975 most major decisions were not taken at a regional or district level though, they were (pre regionalisation) centred on large government offices in Edin/Glas. So even the preceding authority in Inverness may have been consulted but would have had most of the decisions imposed upon them.

[Berk]

I think it is significant, because if the vote was only taken in 76, there could’ve been a good number of months when the regional council was active.

Though as you point out, much of that time would’ve been before then, and therefore with the Scottish Office/Scottish Central Departments.

[djw1981]

https://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/a ... .1984.1316 suggests design work and initial tendering as early as 1973 from SDD. No doubt councils were 'consulted', but Scottish Office did tend to see itself as the main decision maker on such projects.

[Nwallace]

Not sure what Highland Council would have had to do with it, construction began in 1976, Highland Council only came into existence in 1996, though Highland Region(al Council) existed from 1975. Also IIRC the client was the Scottish Development Department (functions now given to Scottish Government agency Transport Scotland), the Herald at the time of Kessock opening wryly comment on the decision not to toll it.

You’re taking it extremely literally. Whilst you’re basically correct, I believe the institution resided in the same locations/buildings/made use of the same staff.

The same institution, in all but name.

Pre 1975 most major decisions were not taken at a regional or district level though, they were (pre regionalisation) centred on large government offices in Edin/Glas. So even the preceding authority in Inverness may have been consulted but would have had most of the decisions imposed upon them.

Given the A9 is Trunk it's very likely to have been a Scottish Office job from start to finish with Highland Region telt to link their roads up?