Continued closure of the Forth Road Bridge to HGV traffic will cost the industry an additional £40m says RHA
The Road Haulage Association (@rhanews) is dismayed to learn that delays are once again affecting the Forth Road Bridge (@forthroadbridge). Despite maintenance teams working hard to complete the repairs necessary to bring the bridge back into use ahead of the planned operational date of the beginning of January, it is to remain closed to HGV traffic until the end of February.
“This will have a massive impact on hauliers who are either based in or making regular journeys to Scotland”, said RHA chief executive Richard Burnett (@RHARichardB). “The major distribution centres on the northern, Fife-side of the river are totally reliant on an efficient, swift transport system and we have had many reports from members who are already struggling to keep to their pre-Christmas delivery schedules. The news that they will continue to face delays and a massive increase in cost for another 8 weeks will, for many, prove to be unsustainable.
“When the closure was first announced, we calculated that additional costs for a single HGV resulting from a round trip detour of 60 miles would add an extra £30 in fuel costs alone. With an estimated 10,500 HGVs using the bridge each day, the additional operating costs to the industry will be well in excess of £600,000 per day.
“Based on these figures, this catastrophe has already cost the haulage industry £9.6 million since its closure on 4 December. If hauliers have to wait until the end of February to resume a normal service, we can confidently predict that the cost will be in excess of £40 million. Many members have already had no alternative but to ask their customers for a rate increase – to ask for an extension until the end of February will, for many, be the final straw.
“We note that Transport Minister Derek Mackay has praised the team involved in the repair worked hard to get the bridge reopened and we would also urge him to support and recognise the hard work that has been, and will continue to be undertaken, by the haulage operators who are striving so hard to keep the Scottish economy moving.
