GEORGE Campbell may earn his money from local government but he has no qualms his lone protest against a planned rise in Forth Road Bridge tolls has forced a costly public inquiry by the bureaucrats.

The 57-year-old who uses the suspension bridge about twice a month to visit relatives in the west of Scotland last night said defiantly: ''I have nothing to apologise for. This is my right.''

Mr Campbell said the majority of bridge users did so through necessity. ''Because of an absence through successive political parties of an integrated transport structure, users are penalised with a toll for a construction that was paid for in full in 1994.

''There is another bridge that goes over the Forth at Kincardine and you can travel on that one free.

''When governments have built motorways we don't pay on them. The Forth Road Bridge is part of a major highway. Why should I pay for going over what is a main artery from Fife.

''If I was travelling over any of the bridges in London over the Thames, it wouldn't cost me any money. I don't see why the people of Scotland should pay for this. I think it's an absolute disgrace. The Skye bridge and the Erskine bridge are similar. Get the tolls off them all.''

Mr Campbell, originally from Newmains in Lanarkshire, said he was ''extremely surprised'' he was the only objector to the planned toll rise.

''It appears to be apathy in the country at this point of time and people tend to think there's no point in complaining because someone else will do it. I didn't know at the time my objection would lead to a public inquiry. I don't see why I should have any qualms whatsoever for being responsible for it.''

The technical assessment officer with the Fife local authority said he had been asked to lodge his comments within an eight-week period.

''I didn't know it would come to all this but I'm prepared to take it to that extent. I'm ready for it.''

The public inquiry Mr Campbell has forced on the government threatens to delay plans to double the capacity of the Ferrytoll park-and-ride site and create a new link road to Rosyth to make it easier for buses to reach the facility.

Barry Colford, depute general manager of the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (Feta), said yesterday the necessity of having an inquiry was regrettable because of the potential for financial loss.

However, he added: ''This is the way the system works and we have to follow it. A person has objected and that is democracy.''

Mr Colford said the delay could last four to five months. ''Obviously we have a capital programme and it will affect that. We are not going to recoup that money and the difference between 80p and (pounds) 1 will amount to about (pounds) 180,000 a month, or probably nearer (pounds) 200,000.''

Mike Rumney, the Feta convener and a Fife councillor, said: ''The Scottish Executive should simply overrule this objection, as I understand it has come from an individual who isn't purely objecting to the toll increase but to the whole principle of bridge tolls.

''Until such time as the Scottish Executive comes back with a review of all tolls on all Scottish bridges, they should overrule this. They have the powers to do so.''

A spokesman for the executive said it was legally bound by the Forth Road Bridge Confirmation Act in 1958 to appoint a reporter and hold an inquiry if any objection was submitted.

''We expect the public inquiry to be held in November and the recommendations will then be passed to ministers for a final decision.''

The construction of the landmark structure where a toll must be paid to cross the suspension bridge in the northbound direction - southbound travel is free - was approved by the UK government in 1958.

It cost (pounds) 11.5m and when it was completed in 1964 it was the longest bridge of its kind outside the US.

Last year a (pounds) 1.2m inspection programme was launched to assess the condition of its cables after excessive corrosion was discovered in a number of bridges in the US of a similar design, size, and era.

Mr Campbell's stand against the planned toll rise comes two months after it emerged the goal by campaigners of ending the ''discredited toll regime'' on the Skye bridge could be achieved by the end of the year.