'Public confidence in TIE is clearly waning'

Published on Saturday 14 March 2009 10:42

THERE have been many key moments along the way on the roller-coaster ride to bring trams back to Edinburgh – but surely none so crucial as next week, as TIE and contractor Bilfinger Berger continue talks to break the deadlock over a cash row which threatens to seriously derail the project.

Both have until Friday to come up with a compromise solution that will allow work to continue on Princes Street. Should they fail, arbiters will be called in to adjudicate on the merits of their respective arguments and a project which is already falling dangerously behind schedule in some areas faces further delay.

If they cannot reach agreement by the end of the week it will take the independent panel almost six weeks to hear evidence from both sides and the best estimate is that work due to start on Princes Street this month may be delayed until the summer.

With work already eight months behind schedule on Leith Walk and further delays already being experienced at Gogar and Haymarket the outlook is far from good.

This week transport leader Phil Wheeler effectively broke his silence on the project when he told a public meeting that the project was now "past the point of no return" but conceded that if costs continued to escalate the project may have to be scaled back.

At the full council meeting council leader Jenny Dawe was more robust in defence of the scheme, stating that the council remained committed to building the line within the budget that had been made available.

That is reassuring as what has become clear – even from the letter pages of this newspaper – is that there is growing scepticism over the completion of the project and that public confidence in the council and TIE to deliver it on time, and on budget, is waning.

It is vital that if faith is to be restored that those charged with delivering trams remain upbeat, positive and truthful.

For the moment the best way to achieve this is to get it back on track as quickly as possible, but not at any cost to taxpayers.

The city wants a trams system and presumably Bilfinger Berger still desires the massive fee that it will earn to help install one.

It is surely, therefore, in the interests of both parties to get around the table and get their dispute resolved as quickly as possible.

One thing is for certain. On a project such as this time is money and the longer it takes to resolve this dispute the more expensive the line will become.