Bus companies have to pay �1.40 to travel across the bridge

North East Fife MSP Iain Smith said he feared passengers would switch away from public transport if companies like Stagecoach did not cut their prices.

The Lib Dem has written to the company urging it to pass the financial benefit of toll abolition on to passengers.

Stagecoach insisted tolls were a small part of its overheads and fares would not be reduced when tolls are scrapped.

Large buses crossing either bridge are currently charged �1.40, but that fee will be abolished from Monday.

Mr Smith said: "A cut in the bus fares would not only reward the thousands of bus passengers, both regular commuters and occasional users, for sticking with the bus and using public transport, but might also attract new passengers out of their cars."

He has written to the company urging them to look again at its prices structure.

No reduction

Stagecoach has insisted that the abolition of the tolls will have little affect on the amount of money it spends on running services.

Last year the operator spent �120,000 on tolls but operational costs in Fife amount to about �1.27m.

One of its biggest overheads is fuel which has been significantly increasing in price.

A spokesman for Stagecoach said: "The modest saving resulting from the political decision to remove the tolls will be more than offset by the Scottish Government's recent decision to freeze the Bus Service Operators' Grant, while operators in England have seen an increase.

"The decision to freeze BSOG will cost Scottish bus operators �7.5m over 18 months.