Trams boss: 'He is playing catch-up and he knows it'

Published on Wednesday 20 May 2009 08:56

IT would have been a miracle had the city's trams project been delivered on time and on budget. So it is no surprise that Richard Jeffrey, the third man to be in charge of the project in as many years, has admitted that this is unlikely to be the case.

But it is good to hear that the former airport boss remains optimistic that it is not that far off track and that the prospect of it becoming – as many critics feared it would – Holyrood on wheels remains a remote possibility.

The new chief executive is honest enough to admit that the scheme will cost more than the 512 million set aside, but should not require more than the additional 30m or so available for contingencies.

It is vital that the scheme is kept within these parameters as it is city taxpayers who will have to meet any overspend. Both Holyrood and Transport Scotland have made it abundantly clear they will not bail the project out should it exceed its budget.

But although a little slack still appears to exist, no-one should underestimate the magnitude of Mr Jeffrey's task. Although he personally starts with a clean slate, mistakes have already been made that could still prove damaging in the long term.

Many of the preliminary works, he says, have not been completed to the required standard – or on time.

Botched traffic diversions and ill-timed bonuses being paid out before a single track was even laid should not have happened.

As in Dublin, there have been technical problems due to unexpected underground finds along the routes. Mr Jeffrey is playing catch-up and he knows it. But he is right to say that at this stage we should not be looking back to see what was done wrong and should continue to concentrate on the way forward. If there are to be any post-mortems they should be done when the work is completed.

The former airport managing director appears on the surface a good choice to take over the project. He knows the city and as president of the Chamber of Commerce has his finger on the pulse and is therefore likely to empathise far more closely with traders whose businesses are being affected by the disruption caused by the works. One of his tasks is to keep them – and the public – onside and to keep reminding them of the bigger and hopefully brighter picture when the network is up and running.

But while he is to be congratulated for his honesty and frankness this will not buy him much public sympathy should he not be able to deliver what he has been charged with doing.