No pedestrian access on new bridge

Jan 16 2013

Measures aimed at preventing people from jumping to their deaths from the new Forth Replacement Crossing have been outlined to MSPs.

Labour MSP Elaine Murray raised the topic at a meeting of the Holyrood committee looking at the project.

Referring to the "sad issue of people committing suicide from the Forth Road Bridge", she asked officials: "I wondered just what sort of safety precautions would be implemented on the new bridge, and indeed on the old bridge, to try and prevent suicides from people jumping off the bridge?"

Transport Scotland's Graham Porteous said the new crossing would not have the same pedestrian access as the current bridge.

"With the new bridge there is no pedestrian access because it's a motorway, so we wouldn't have the same sort of problems with people going for a walk and jumping off the bridge," he told the committee.

"The existing bridge set-up won't change as a result of the bridge-operating company taking over. The intention is the control-room staff who monitor the bridge for things like suicide jumpers will stay and these people will just transfer over, still in the same job, albeit for a new employer."

The Scottish Parliament's Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee has been taking evidence from officials on the initial stage of the Forth Road Bridge Bill.

The new bridge is scheduled to open in 2016 and the first section forming the central foundation of the bridge was put in place towards the end of last year. Transport Scotland has said the project now directly supports around 1,200 construction jobs.

Mr Porteous, the organisation's head of special projects, was also questioned about employment during the committee hearing and said Transport Scotland has a good record of making sure that local people and apprentices get jobs.

He added: "With the M74, for example, which was completed recently, at the height of construction it employed 900 people. Over 70% of them were from the Glasgow postcode. There were also 15 apprentices employed as a result of the M74. All of the contracts Transport Scotland issue are doing that."