"Bob the Builder" lookalikes visit Parliament committee

14 January 2008
Topics: Transport

No need to waste over £3.25 billion of taxpayers' money on new bridge,
say campaigners

Today Friends of the Earth Scotland, accompanied by a crack team of "Bob the
Builder" lookalikes, visited parliament to hear Finance Secretary John
Swinney MSP give evidence on the second Forth road bridge [1].

FoE believe that the Government should take forward the refurbishment of the
existing Forth Road Bridge rather than constructing an additional bridge, as
announced by Mr Swinney on 19 December [2]. Reports commissioned by the
Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) on the condition of the bridge show
it can be repaired. [3]

Not content with presenting John Swinney MSP with a toy toolset for
Christmas in December, the Bobs hope that their presence will remind the
committee that with the existing bridge the message is: "Can we fix it? Yes
we can!".

They are urging Government Ministers to reconsider whether they really want
to waste between £3.25 and £4.22 billion [1], equivalent to over £1,000 for
every family in Scotland [4], on a Second Forth Road Bridge when options for
refurbishing the existing Forth Road Bridge are available.

Chas Booth, spokesperson for Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:

"Although the government announced their intention to build a second Forth
road bridge before Christmas, they haven't yet identified the billions of
pounds needed to pay for it. Our message to John Swinney is to think again,
and on the existing Forth Road Bridge to remember: "Can we fix it? Yes we
can". The reports presented to the Government clearly show that the existing
bridge can be repaired."

"The Scottish Government should concentrate on repairing the existing Bridge
and not waste over £3.25 billion of taxpayers' cash on a Second Forth Road
Bridge. If Mr Swinney goes ahead with a second Forth crossing then he will
be imposing a £1000 tax on every Scottish family [4].

"Last month, Mr Swinney announced a £30 million fund to tackle climate
change. But the Government won't be taken seriously on climate change if it
then decides to spend one hundred times that amount on a project that would
increase greenhouse gas emissions. An additional bridge could lead to a
doubling of road traffic across the Forth. [5]"

ENDS

CONTACTS:

Owen Davis on 0131 243 2719 or pager 07654 382 457.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, John Swinney MSP, will be
giving evidence to the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
Committee at 2pm tomorrow in Committee Room 3:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/ticc/index.htm

[2] Secretary for finance and sustainable growth statement to parliament on
19 December:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/This-Week/Speeches/Weathier-and-Fairer/forth
crossing

[3] FETA reports on repairing the Forth Road Bridge
FETA 'Feasibility Study for the Replacement (or Augmentation) of the Main
Cables of the Forth Road Bridge, Preliminary Findings', 1/6/07, Section 6.1,
Conclusion: "The replacement or augmentation of the main cables on the Forth
Road Bridge presents significant engineering challenges but is achievable."
- see http://www.feta.gov.uk

[4] "a £1000 tax on every Scottish family"
£3.25 billion (minimum estimated cost of new crossing) divided by 2.3
million (the number of Scottish households [ref: General Register Office for
Scotland]) equates to £1413 per household.

[5] "a doubling of traffic"
On 25/09/07, The City of Edinburgh Council adopted the paper 'New Forth
Crossing Options - Proposed Council Response' - available at
http://cpol.edinburgh.gov.uk/getdoc_ext.asp?DocId=101929 which set out the
impacts of the various options that the Scottish Government could pursue.
The paper concluded that an additional crossing would lead to "around 100%
each way" increase in traffic at peak hours (page 3).

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