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Edinburgh Trams - TIE in Meltdown?

Submitted by actionman on Thu, 16 Jun '11 11.53am

Edinburgh City Council appear to be moving to get rid of Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (tie) from involvement in the ill-fated Edinburgh trams project. There are apparently plans to lay off more than half the present staff with a voluntary redundancy scheme now underway within tie. The claim from tie itself is that fewer staff will be required as only part (which part?) of the tram line is to be completed, however, we all know that the Council and tie have run out of money for the project.

What is also clear is that the "new brooms" of Sue Bruce as Chief Executive of the City Council and Vic Emery, the new Chairman of tie, see the compny as something of a disaster area.   If the scheme is wound up it will be seen as a failure of tie and the various people in charge there when there is further bad news to announce.

It is known that the Council is to take a decision on 30th June at a Council meeting about the future of the whole trams project.

It is understood that the options are, either to scrap the whole project, or to try and get a line to St Andrew Square, however, pressure is coming from other sources to suggest that termination at Haymarket should also be considered with the rest of the scheme being mothballed until more money becomes available some years ahead.

To most people the Haymarket option would seem to make sense. If a further £200 million is thought to be required to get to St Andrew Square, this money is simply not there.  In fact even getting to Haymarket may be challenge enough with such a small amount of money left - only about £105 million remains in the pot from the original £545 million and Ministers in the Scottish Government have said they will not give "a penny more" to this unpopular scheme.

With Vic Emery having said he "does not do failure" it all presents some challenging decisions ahead.

Transport
Trams

Do you think we will get a firm decision on 30th June or the usual fudge and procrastination?

A firm decision on 30th June?    I would not bet on it!   The get out excuse might be that the Council officers have had insufficient time to "refine" (they mean fudge!) the figures.   But let us hope for the best; possibly someone with no "baggage" such as the new Chief Executive, Sue Bruce, may drive through a decision.

Sue Bruce's main task to ensure that the meltdown in tie doesn't spread to the City Of Edinburgh Council.

The time has come for clearsightedness, and trying to 'manage' the debate towards a pre-determined 'end' is no longer a viable option---and about time too!

A proper decision making process must mean that councillors have full figures and impartial appraisal from the professional people employed by the council on:

1)  Ending the project in the most efficient way possible

2)  Pausing for now at Haymarket station---an option that has the advanatge of being a green solution in creating no traffic created air pollution

3)  Pushing on to pause for now at St Andrew Square ---an option that has the disadvantage of creating more pollution than it save.

With respect to Sue Bruce and Vic Emery, who in many ways have brought a refreshing sense of realism and energy to the situation,it isn't their job to tell councillors that the only viable option is 'St Andrew Square', and thereby make the decision for them.

Their duty is to place the facts of the situation dispassionately before the councillors in order that the elected representatives can make their best informed decision possible.

One reason the project has become the disaster it has been until now is that the elected representatives have been sidelined and neutered in their decision making---this can't continue.