[Innes Rothach – Preseantair] Tha fichead bliadhna ann an-diugh bhon a dh'fhosgail Drochaid an Eilein Sgitheanaich. Thug an drochaid atharrachadh mòr air dòigh-beatha an eilein - ach cha bheag a' chonnspaid a thàinig na cois cuideachd. Chaidh na ficheadan an dìteadh airson a bhith a' diùltadh cìs na drochaid a phàigheadh, gus an deach cur às dha ann an 2004. Tha an aithris seo aig Coinneach Mac a' Ghobhainn.
[Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn – Neach-aithris] ‘S mathaid gu bheil e duilich a chreidsinn ach airson 20 bliadhna a-nis, tha carbadan air an t-slighe a dhèanamh tarsainn air drochaid an Eilein Sgitheanaich. ‘S iomadh rud a dh’ atharraich bhon uair sin. Ach, tha buannachdan air a thighinn na cois.
[An Comh Hamish Friseal] Uill tha daoine a-nis, tha iad saor a bhith falbh uair sam bith a thogras iad agus an latha a dh’ fhosgail an drochaid thòisich sin. Daoine falbh air obair ghnìomhachais agus falbh cuideachd air obair shòisealta, ‘s dòcha tighinn gu Inbhir Nis no àite sam bith airson cèilidh agus faighinn air ais anns an aon là. Agus cha robh uallach sam bith orra nuair a bha iad a’ fàgail nam bailtean mòra bha sin nach fhaigheadh iad dhachaigh. Ged a tha làithean ann fhathast ma tha gaoth mhòr ann ‘s dòcha nach fhaigh iad dhachaigh ach, anns an fharsaingeachd ‘s e buannachd mhòr a bha sin anns an dà dòigh a bha sin.
[Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn – Neach-aithris] Ach gu deimhinne cha b’ ann gun chonnspaid a bha an gnothaich. Ri linn cùmhnant PFI leis an deach a togail, bha cìsean àrd air an drochaid, rud a bhrosnaich iomairt làidir dha-rìribh na h-aghaidh. ‘S tha deagh chuimhneachain aig gu leòr air an dearbh oidhirp.
[Art MacCarmaig] ‘S e a’ chuimhne as motha a th’ agam air an drochaid bhon a dh’ fhosgail i ‘s e gu robh iomairt gu math mòr ann leis a’ choimhearsnachd airson cur às dha na cìsean air an drochaid agus tha fhios aig a h-uile duine gur e a’ chiad chùmhnant PFI a bh’ ann agus gu robh airgead prìobhaideach agus airgead an riaghaltais an sàs ann. Ach bha a’ chompanaidh aig an robh an drochaid an toiseach, bha iad a’ dol a dhèanamh fortan às agus bha sin a’ dol a thoirt buaidh gu math mòr air eaconamaidh an Eilein Sgitheanaich chanainn agus thòisich iomairt agus bha an iomairt soirbheachail aig a’ cheann thall. Thug e greiseag dhuinn ach mu dheireadh thall cheannaich Riaghaltas na h-Alba a’ chùmhnant agus ‘s ann leothasan a-nis a tha an drochaid.
[Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn – Neach-aithris] Cha b’ ann gu 2004 a chaidh an drochaid a cheannach leis an riaghaltas. Ron sin, nochd grunnan sa chùirt airson diùltadh a’ chìs a phàigheadh. Le drochaid gun chìsean, tha mòran taingeil airson na rinnear.
[An Comh Hamish Friseal] Uill bha agus bha iomadh duine, chuir iad am beatha fhèin ann an dragh dh’ fhaodadh tu ràdh, timcheall air seo agus bha feadhainn dhiubh a’ dol gu prìosan, a’ dol gu cùirt agus rudan mar sin ach tha mi deagh chreidsinn gu bheil a h-uile duine a bhuannaich a-mach à sin gu math taingeil gun do rinn iad sin agus gu bheil sinn a-nise saor ‘s an- asgaidh a’ dol seachad air an drochaid sin agus ‘s dòcha an strì a rinn iad ach gun do rinn e feum mhòr dhan Eilean Sgitheanach.
[Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn – Neach-aithris] 20 bliadhna as dèidh dhi fosgladh ma-thà, cha bheag a’ bhuaidh a th’ air a bhith aig an drochaid-rathaid tarsainn air a’ Chaol air coimhearsnachd nan Sgitheanach. Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn, BBC An Là.
[Innes Munro – Presenter] It’s 20 years today since the Skye Bridge opened. The bridge brought big changes to the lifestyle on the island - but it also caused a great deal of controversy. Dozens of people were convicted for refusing to pay the bridge toll, until it was abolished in 2004. Coinneach Smith has this report.
[Coinneach Smith – Reporter] It may be difficult to believe but for 20 years now, vehicles have been making their way across the Skye Bridge. Many things have changed since then. However, it has brought benefits.
[Cllr Hamish Fraser] Well people are now free to come and go as they please and this began the day the bridge opened. People going away for business and also for social purposes, perhaps coming to Inverness or somewhere else for a visit are being able to get back the same day. And there were no concerns when they left these cities that they may not get home. Although there are still days when there are strong winds that they perhaps can’t get home but, generally speaking, it’s a massive advantage in those two ways.
[Coinneach Smith – Reporter] But the matter certainly wasn’t without controversy. As a result of the PFI contract required to build the bridge, the tolls were high, which spurred on a very strong campaign against it. And many people have fond memories of this very effort.
[Arthur Cormack] My biggest memory of the bridge since it opened is that there was quite a large community campaign to abolish the bridge tolls and as everybody knows, this was the first PFI contract and both private and public money were involved. But the company that initially owned the bridge was going to make a fortune out of it and that, I would say, was going to have a massive effect on the Isle of Skye’s economy. A campaign began and that campaign was ultimately successful. It took us a little while but eventually the Scottish Government bought the contract and the bridge now belongs to them.
[Coinneach Smith – Reporter] It wasn’t until 2004 that the bridge was bought over by the government. Prior to this, a number of people appeared in court for refusing to pay the toll. With a toll-free bridge, many are thankful for what was achieved.
[Cllr Hamish Fraser] Well there were many people whose own lives were affected, you could say, from around the area and some of them were going to prison, going to court and such like and I firmly believe that everyone who came out of that successfully are very thankful for what they did and that we are all now free to cross the bridge and that their efforts greatly benefitted the Isle of Skye.
[Coinneach Smith – Reporter] 20 years after it opened, the road bridge crossing Kyle has had a great effect on the Skye community. Coinneach Smith, BBC An Là.
[Innes Rothach – Preseantair] Tha fichead bliadhna ann an-diugh bhon a dh'fhosgail Drochaid an Eilein Sgitheanaich. Thug an drochaid atharrachadh mòr air dòigh-beatha an eilein - ach cha bheag a' chonnspaid a thàinig na cois cuideachd. Chaidh na ficheadan an dìteadh airson a bhith a' diùltadh cìs na drochaid a phàigheadh, gus an deach cur às dha ann an 2004. Tha an aithris seo aig Coinneach Mac a' Ghobhainn.
[Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn – Neach-aithris] ‘S mathaid gu bheil e duilich a chreidsinn ach airson 20 bliadhna a-nis, tha carbadan air an t-slighe a dhèanamh tarsainn air drochaid an Eilein Sgitheanaich. ‘S iomadh rud a dh’ atharraich bhon uair sin. Ach, tha buannachdan air a thighinn na cois.
[An Comh Hamish Friseal] Uill tha daoine a-nis, tha iad saor a bhith falbh uair sam bith a thogras iad agus an latha a dh’ fhosgail an drochaid thòisich sin. Daoine falbh air obair ghnìomhachais agus falbh cuideachd air obair shòisealta, ‘s dòcha tighinn gu Inbhir Nis no àite sam bith airson cèilidh agus faighinn air ais anns an aon là. Agus cha robh uallach sam bith orra nuair a bha iad a’ fàgail nam bailtean mòra bha sin nach fhaigheadh iad dhachaigh. Ged a tha làithean ann fhathast ma tha gaoth mhòr ann ‘s dòcha nach fhaigh iad dhachaigh ach, anns an fharsaingeachd ‘s e buannachd mhòr a bha sin anns an dà dòigh a bha sin.
[Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn – Neach-aithris] Ach gu deimhinne cha b’ ann gun chonnspaid a bha an gnothaich. Ri linn cùmhnant PFI leis an deach a togail, bha cìsean àrd air an drochaid, rud a bhrosnaich iomairt làidir dha-rìribh na h-aghaidh. ‘S tha deagh chuimhneachain aig gu leòr air an dearbh oidhirp.
[Art MacCarmaig] ‘S e a’ chuimhne as motha a th’ agam air an drochaid bhon a dh’ fhosgail i ‘s e gu robh iomairt gu math mòr ann leis a’ choimhearsnachd airson cur às dha na cìsean air an drochaid agus tha fhios aig a h-uile duine gur e a’ chiad chùmhnant PFI a bh’ ann agus gu robh airgead prìobhaideach agus airgead an riaghaltais an sàs ann. Ach bha a’ chompanaidh aig an robh an drochaid an toiseach, bha iad a’ dol a dhèanamh fortan às agus bha sin a’ dol a thoirt buaidh gu math mòr air eaconamaidh an Eilein Sgitheanaich chanainn agus thòisich iomairt agus bha an iomairt soirbheachail aig a’ cheann thall. Thug e greiseag dhuinn ach mu dheireadh thall cheannaich Riaghaltas na h-Alba a’ chùmhnant agus ‘s ann leothasan a-nis a tha an drochaid.
[Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn – Neach-aithris] Cha b’ ann gu 2004 a chaidh an drochaid a cheannach leis an riaghaltas. Ron sin, nochd grunnan sa chùirt airson diùltadh a’ chìs a phàigheadh. Le drochaid gun chìsean, tha mòran taingeil airson na rinnear.
[An Comh Hamish Friseal] Uill bha agus bha iomadh duine, chuir iad am beatha fhèin ann an dragh dh’ fhaodadh tu ràdh, timcheall air seo agus bha feadhainn dhiubh a’ dol gu prìosan, a’ dol gu cùirt agus rudan mar sin ach tha mi deagh chreidsinn gu bheil a h-uile duine a bhuannaich a-mach à sin gu math taingeil gun do rinn iad sin agus gu bheil sinn a-nise saor ‘s an- asgaidh a’ dol seachad air an drochaid sin agus ‘s dòcha an strì a rinn iad ach gun do rinn e feum mhòr dhan Eilean Sgitheanach.
[Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn – Neach-aithris] 20 bliadhna as dèidh dhi fosgladh ma-thà, cha bheag a’ bhuaidh a th’ air a bhith aig an drochaid-rathaid tarsainn air a’ Chaol air coimhearsnachd nan Sgitheanach. Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn, BBC An Là.
[Innes Munro – Presenter] It’s 20 years today since the Skye Bridge opened. The bridge brought big changes to the lifestyle on the island - but it also caused a great deal of controversy. Dozens of people were convicted for refusing to pay the bridge toll, until it was abolished in 2004. Coinneach Smith has this report.
[Coinneach Smith – Reporter] It may be difficult to believe but for 20 years now, vehicles have been making their way across the Skye Bridge. Many things have changed since then. However, it has brought benefits.
[Cllr Hamish Fraser] Well people are now free to come and go as they please and this began the day the bridge opened. People going away for business and also for social purposes, perhaps coming to Inverness or somewhere else for a visit are being able to get back the same day. And there were no concerns when they left these cities that they may not get home. Although there are still days when there are strong winds that they perhaps can’t get home but, generally speaking, it’s a massive advantage in those two ways.
[Coinneach Smith – Reporter] But the matter certainly wasn’t without controversy. As a result of the PFI contract required to build the bridge, the tolls were high, which spurred on a very strong campaign against it. And many people have fond memories of this very effort.
[Arthur Cormack] My biggest memory of the bridge since it opened is that there was quite a large community campaign to abolish the bridge tolls and as everybody knows, this was the first PFI contract and both private and public money were involved. But the company that initially owned the bridge was going to make a fortune out of it and that, I would say, was going to have a massive effect on the Isle of Skye’s economy. A campaign began and that campaign was ultimately successful. It took us a little while but eventually the Scottish Government bought the contract and the bridge now belongs to them.
[Coinneach Smith – Reporter] It wasn’t until 2004 that the bridge was bought over by the government. Prior to this, a number of people appeared in court for refusing to pay the toll. With a toll-free bridge, many are thankful for what was achieved.
[Cllr Hamish Fraser] Well there were many people whose own lives were affected, you could say, from around the area and some of them were going to prison, going to court and such like and I firmly believe that everyone who came out of that successfully are very thankful for what they did and that we are all now free to cross the bridge and that their efforts greatly benefitted the Isle of Skye.
[Coinneach Smith – Reporter] 20 years after it opened, the road bridge crossing Kyle has had a great effect on the Skye community. Coinneach Smith, BBC An Là.