Travel plan to deal with Forth Road Bridge closure revised one day after launch

Forth Road Bridge: closure has prompted public transport expansion

Forth Road Bridge: closure has prompted public transport expansion

The Scottish Government has revised its travel plan to cope with the closure of the Forth Road Bridge due to structural problems one day after its launch.

Scottish transport minister Derek Mackay announced that his "comprehensive travel plan" outlined at the weekend will be subject to "constant monitoring, review and adaptation," after a "chaotic" Monday of travel was reported. This includes 11,000 extra seats on buses per day, with 33 additional vehicles from Stagecoach operating up to every ten minutes at peak times into Edinburgh from the park-and-ride sites at Halbeath and Ferrytoll.

He today unveiled in addition a new early morning Scot Rail train service from Inverkeithing to Waverley, with 8,000 additional seats. The measures were put in place after testing identified a likely crack in a support beam and the bridge was closed to traffic at midnight on Thursday. The work will require the bridge to remain closed until the New Year.

Mackay urged commuters to consider changing their travel times, car sharing, or working at home if possible.