FTA Scottish Freight Council Welcomes Commitment To New Forth Crossing

15th January 2007

FTA SCOTTISH FREIGHT COUNCIL

At the January meeting of the Freight Transport Association's Scottish Freight Council, Ian Fleming of CJ Lang Ltd, Dundee, was elected to serve a further year as chairman.

Members discussed the recent publication of the Scottish National Transport Strategy and the Freight Action Plan. FTA had proposed the establishment of a Stakeholder Group to take forward the Action Plan and ensure that it would not be left to gather dust. The Scottish Executive is committed to forming such a group and it is expected that the inaugural meeting will be in February.

Members welcomed the recent commitment in principle from the Executive to proceed with a replacement Forth crossing in view of the problems with the Forth Road Bridge. Although both a bridge and tunnel option will be studied by the consultants, FTA members felt that the problems associated with tunnels, such as restrictions on hazardous goods carriage, outweighed the occasional closure of bridges due to high winds.

The Freight Transport Association has 1,500 members in Scotland.