End of tolls to mean 40 jobs lost on bridge

BRIDGEMASTER Alastair Andrew is set to be made redundant along with about 40 of his staff when tolls are scrapped on the Forth Road Bridge.

Abolition of the charges - expected to take effect by the end of the year - will mean a drastic cut in the bridge's budget and remove the need for toll collectors.

Mr Andrew's job, overseeing the operation of the 43-year-old bridge, has now been "re-evaluated" as part of a staffing review.

It concluded the bridge's workforce of around 100 would be cut by about 40 per cent and the two most senior posts should be merged into one.

The Forth Estuary Transport Authority is being asked to approve the early retirement of Mr Andrew on grounds of redundancy and the appointment of his deputy, Barry Colford, to the new post of chief engineer and bridgemaster.

Mr Andrew, 58, said until recently he had been working on the local transport strategy, plans for electronic tolling and improvements to the bridge approach roads. But the Scottish Parliament's decision in May to scrap all bridge tolls and the removal of FETA's responsibilities for anything other than bridge maintenance had changed all that.

"A month ago, retirement was the last thing on my mind," he said. "But, with the substantial reduction in responsibilities, the analysis is that one person is capable of running our organisation with its new remit."

Mr Andrew has been doing the job for 11 years. He was appointed as deputy bridgemaster in 1994, after a spell in charge of the Tay Road Bridge, then took over the top job two years later.

FETA chief executive Ronnie Hinds said that although significant duties remained - including responsibility for the safety of the Forth Road Bridge and an annual budget of 12 million - two posts at the top could not be retained, given the overall diminution in responsibilities and the inevitability of significantly reduced staffing levels.

He said: "Given the forthcoming removal of tolls, it is essential that we proactively plan the transition arrangements and the new staffing structure required.

"Over the past 18 months there has been a gradual erosion of the responsibilities of the general manager and bridgemaster.

"The rejection of FETA's variable charging proposals in 2006 effectively removed the authority's wider powers to invest in transport projects. Work to deliver a new Forth crossing is now being taken forward by Transport Scotland.

"It is now clear that staffing levels will be reduced by about 40 per cent when tolls are removed.

"In light of this, Alastair Andrew has decided the time is right to hand over the reins.

"The intention is that Barry and Alastair will work together to see FETA through the removal of tolls, before Barry leads the new organisation forward as chief engineer and bridgemaster."

The restructuring is expected to be approved by the FETA board at its next meeting on August 31.