Double-whammy warning over plans for road bridge
Lawrence Marshall says maintenance spending could fall under a private operator
THE Forth Road Bridge faces a potential “double whammy” from budget cuts and privatisation plans, it was claimed today.
Lawrence Marshall, former convener of the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA), said maintenance of the 47-year-old structure would inevitably be hit by a 58 per cent reduction in capital funding under the Scottish Government’s spending review.
And he warned the decision to put management and maintenance of both the existing bridge and the new Forth Replacement Crossing out to tender meant a private contractor would also be taking a profit from the available resources.
The FETA board is due to receive a report next month on “re-prioritising” maintenance projects on the bridge to cope with the cut of more than £19 million over the next three years.
Bridgemaster Barry Colford has already told board members that essential works will have to be “reduced in scope or postponed”.
Transport Minister Keith Brown announced earlier this week that a competitive tender exercise would be held for one contractor to operate the existing bridge and the new crossing. FETA will be scrapped and the 70-strong workforce transferred to the new contractor.
Mr Marshall, a former Labour city councillor, said the move amounted to the privatisation of bridge maintenance.
He said: “Unless there are huge inefficiencies within FETA – and no-one has suggested there are – the profit element will cut into the available funding for maintenance and operation of the bridge.
“What is taken off in profit by the contractor is money not available for maintenance because it’s going to the shareholders, whereas at the moment the shareholders are the local people of the Lothians and Fife. It’s a potential double whammy – less money coming in from the Scottish Government for capital projects and a private contractor taking out a profit.”
He also pointed out if FETA had been given the role of operating the two bridges, it would have been able to borrow money at lower interest rates than any contractor.
Government agency Transport Scotland defended the decision to contract out operation of the two crossings.
A spokesman said: “This decision ensures the management and maintenance of the new bridge is undertaken to the highest standard, provides best value for money, best protects jobs and is fully co-ordinated with the management and maintenance of the existing Forth Road Bridge.
“FETA’s allocation within the recent spending review will ensure a prioritised approach to all essential maintenance over the spending review period.
“Transport Scotland will continue to ensure the integrity and safety of the Forth Road Bridge in line with the rest of the trunk road network.”
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Thursday 23 February 2012
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Comments
There are 11 comments to this article
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searchanddestroy
Monday, November 21, 2011 at 12:02 PMLawrence Marshall of FETA, claims "the decision to put management and maintenance .....meant a private contractor would also be taking a profit from the available resources" Of course they will but they will not have to pay the bloated public sector gold plated pension that is a massive drain on any of these projects . Hey presto its easy to make a profit when you don't have to pay this "big cheese" a huge quango salary etc. Seems he will continue to take a profit from this resource for years to come in the form of his pension. Bring back tolls and make people pay for the services that the actually use rather than this ludicrous all inclusive tax package for everyone in Scotland. Salmond continues to whine about London while $punk1ng fortunes on more nationlaist social engineering projects. Its time to wise up and react to the changing world climate, rather than clinging to some Cuban type ideology
lewdboy
Monday, November 21, 2011 at 08:25 AMBring back the toll(s). Bridges will pay for themselves. Problem solved.
Eddison548
Sunday, November 20, 2011 at 07:58 AMMore private is best.stuff the workers.the poor work harder for the profits of the wealthy.guaranteed to cost you more.
Harry Palmer
Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 10:18 PMHere is an idea populist SNP government. Let the people who use the bridge pay for it. Charge them to use it! Something like a toll. I don't use it why should I pay for it? If I use it once a year (although I have not used it since 2005) I will pay for it then and there. Put the tolls back and invest all the money the tolls raise in the bridge. Mr Salmond stop being the "False Economy First Minister"
JumboLumbo
Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 09:27 PMAlso, I believe FETA is funded by the Scottish government, not the LAs. The LAs make up FETA's board.
JumboLumbo
Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 09:20 PMWhat is being replaced by the 'new Forth Replacement Crossing'?
Aristotle
Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 08:57 PMSeeing as it is only 47 years old and apparently needs a replacement bridge to be built as it is falling apart, this is hardly a ringing endorsement of remaining in public ownership.
samcoldstream
Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 08:29 PMThe patronage of four local authorities which fund FETA will be withdrawn. At the time FETA was created, all four used to be Labour controlled. Two are still Labour, and the other two are now NationalistLib-Dem Coalitions.
Auld Twa
Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 03:27 PMBefore you get all het up about maintenance of the Forth Road Bridge ou might be interested to know that the bridge authority does not do a lot of the work. 1 - A £2.6 million contract is to be awarded to carry out a third internal inspection of the main cables on the Forth Road Bridge. 2 - C Spencer Ltd have been appointed to carry out the work following a competitive tendering exercise. 3 - Consulting engineers Flint & Neill Ltd have already been appointed to oversee the inspection on behalf of the bridge authority.
Jams
Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 01:42 PMIf the works required are "Essential" how can they postpone or cancel them? ............................. Another case of - that word you use does not mean what you appear to think it means.
Afredo Garcia
Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 12:36 PMIf the private sector can do the job more cheaply let them get on with it. Methinks FETA may be concerned at cuts to their attendance allowances and work practices.
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