First Minister pressed over bridge incidents

transport: Nicola Sturgeon says summit will look at how to prevent closures

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been pressed over what is being done to prevent high-sided vehicles accessing the Forth Road Bridge during wind warnings.

The bridge was shut for almost four hours on Tuesday, causing evening rush-hour chaos, after a lorry driver apparently ignored warning signs and tried to cross. His lorry trailer toppled, closing both lanes.

Many have called for police or bridge authorities to play a more active role in controlling access to the bridge while restrictions are in place.

Responding to Liz Smith MSP during First Minister’s Questions, Ms Sturgeon said Transport Scotland will be holding discussions with police and councils to see what more can be done.

Driver Juozas Zilvys, 56, will appear on trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court facing a dangerous driving charge, after Tuesday’s disruption.

Another lorry driver, 55-year-old Aleksander Niemiec from Macclesfield, was fined £1,000 and banned for two years after he admitted ignoring high wind warning signs on the approach to the bridge on January 11. His actions resulted in the bridge being closed in both directions for 19 hours, causing widespread problems for drivers.

Replying to Ms Smith, Ms Sturgeon said: “This was another very regrettable incident on the Forth Road Bridge.

“A multi-agency response was very quickly put in place to respond to the closure and it worked effectively to manage the associated travel impact and to get the bridge reopened as quickly as possible. And let me thank everybody who worked hard to make sure that that happened.”

The First Minister told MSPs that Transport Scotland would be hosting a conference in the near future to discuss how bridge closures could be prevented.

Those taking part will include the traffic commissioner, Police Scotland, Forth Road Bridge operating company Amey, local authorities and representatives from the freight sector.

Picture: PA. Lorry driver Aleksander Niemiec was fined and banned for the January 11 incident, above and below.