A long-awaited hovercraft service made its first crossing of the Forth estuary yesterday. The operator, Stagecoach, plans 22 services a day in a two-week trial starting on Monday between Kirkcaldy, in Fife, and Portobello, in Edinburgh. The £300,000 trial is an attempt to cut road congestion and is backed with public funds from the South East of Scotland Transport Partnership. It is claimed that the average 20-minute journey could cut car journey times by 60 per cent compared with using the Forth Road Bridge. Fares start at £4.50 return.