Local difficulties
HOPEFULLY the Holyrood inquiry into the Forth Road Bridge closure will also examine the delays in building the second road bridge, which has exacerbated problems for commuters.
Tam Dalyell (Letters, 16 December) and others who seek to blame Holyrood and the SNP for the temporary closure of the Forth Road Bridge seem to ignore the fact that due to unprecedented traffic volumes the Scottish Office proposed a second road bridge in the early 1990s. However, this was cancelled by Tony Blair’s Westminster government in June 1997.
The proposed second bridge was fiercely opposed by the then Labour-run Edinburgh City Council and Tam Dalyell may recall Alastair Darling calling it a “ridiculous bridge” in the House of Commons in 1995.
In January 2006, following eight years of inaction by the Labour/Lib Dem Scottish Executive, the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (Feta), which many seem to have forgotten was solely responsible for the bridge repairs until June this year, warned that work on a new bridge should start immediately but this advice was ignored until the SNP came into office and commissioned the second bridge despite the Labour’s transport spokesperson calling it a “vanity project”.
With the benefit of hindsight had the extensive repairs not been postponed by Feta, acting independently from Transport Scotland or government, the bridge would have probably been closed for a much longer period than is envisaged to solve the current local difficulty.
Fraser Grant
Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh
If my dog bites someone that’s arguably my fault and so I have insurance against legal liability. If those who have lost business because of Forth Road Bridge chaos successfully claim compensation, then who should pay it?
It is unfair that the public which had no powers in this matter should be collectively expected to meet such compensation bills when the guilty parties are in fact the MSPs. The inactivity of Holyrood in protecting public interests here enabled the Scottish Government to sit on its hands with their fingers crossed for seven years while the present tragedy unfurled. The guilt, therefore, rests on MSPs and they should pay the relevant compensation.
If MSPs have failed to take out liability insurance then, as with dog owners, that’s their fault and no-one else’s. It’s time those who are paid well for responsibly guarding our affairs coughed up when they fail to do so.
Tim Flinn
Garvald, East Lothian
As a sign of goodwill surely Transport Scotland should consider a special service over the Forth Bridge between Dunfermline and Haymarket/Waverley on Boxing Day. This could be operated by the various loco hauled trains which are, at present, doing a sterling shuttle service. It could even be a free service negating the need for booking offices and ticket staff.
The closure of the Forth Road Bridge has been disastrous. This token would go some way to restore faith in our Scottish Parliament.
Colin C Maclean