Scottish bridge toll abolished or claim too old
Tolls on the Forth, Tay, and Erskine bridges in Scotland were abolished in 2008. Any penalty or charge for crossing these bridges after abolition is unlawful and cannot be enforced. Even for crossings made before abolition, the right to chase an unpaid toll debt expires after 5 years — so an old claim brought outside that window is also unenforceable.
Legal basis
Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Act 2008; Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 s.6 (5-year prescription for obligations)
How to identify this in your case
Date of crossing vs date of toll abolition. Date of claim vs 5-year window from any pre-abolition crossing.
Sample appeal wording
Dear Sir/Madam, Re: Penalty Claim [REF] — [Bridge] — [DATE] I dispute this claim. 1. Tolls on [Forth Road Bridge / Tay Road Bridge / Erskine Bridge] were ABOLISHED with effect from 11 February 2008 by the Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Act 2008. Any claim for an unpaid toll for a crossing on or after that date is unlawful. 2. To the extent the claim relates to a pre-abolition crossing, it is time-barred. Under the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 s.6, an obligation to pay arising from a debt prescribes after 5 years. I do not acknowledge any debt. Please cease enforcement action and confirm in writing the matter is closed. Yours faithfully, [NAME]
Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.
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