Letter: Silence of trams

AS THE Holyrood election approaches, there seems to be an attempt by Edinburgh Council to cut back on any statements about the non-progress of the Edinburgh trams project.

Possibly this is because the Liberal Democrats are fearful that the chaos that is the trams project will damage their prospective MSP candidates.

Both council leader Jenny Dawe and Councillor Gordon Mackenzie are Lib Dems, so it is obviously in their interests to limit the collateral damage on their Holyrood candidates.

With the business case in tatters, there seem to be few options open to the council. The economic downturn has effectively dealt a mortal blow to the whole original concept of the tram project. Development at Newhaven and in Leith will be "on hold" until the economic situation drastically improves.

So what are the council to do? They may pray for a sympathetic new government at Holyrood, but no aspiring politician has, as yet, dared to risk the wrath of the voters by promising additional money to complete the project - nor should they. It would seem the council has no options to take which would deliver a paying and profitable tram operation.

ALLAN ALSTEAD

Moray Place

Edinburgh