OREANDA-NEWS. December 07, 2015. Speaking after talks in Glenrothes today with Fife Council Leader David Ross, Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell has assured Scottish Transport Minister Derek Mackay MSP that the UK Government is standing ready to help the Scottish Government, FETA, Transport Scotland and Network Rail relieve the major disruption facing people in Fife and Edinburgh following the closure of the Forth Road Bridge.

Mr Mundell said:

The closure of the Forth Road Bridge until the New Year is a very serious development which will have a major impact not just on local communities and travellers but on the wider Scottish economy. I met today with Fife Council and we discussed the impact the closure will have on the local area.

While this is a devolved responsibility of the Scottish Government and they now have the task of ensuring that all possible measures are taken to minimise the disruption during the bridge closure, the UK Government stands ready to assist in any practical way we can. I have spoken directly to Derek Mackay and made that clear to him.