Letter: At a standstill

The public cannot be expected to tolerate the current standoff on the Edinburgh Trams for much longer (your report, 5 November). Clearly more money is required.

A rise of 30 per cent or so over seven years, if justified, is not unreasonable and the only source of funding is finance minister John Swinney. If he won't oblige the project is dead.

Bilfinger Berger was by far the lowest bidder and has been constantly demanding more than was allocated, but would a new contractor not be even more expensive?

If the standard of its work is acceptable (TIE is presumably monitoring this?) the delay and chaos involved in changing contractors should be avoided, perhaps by the city swallowing its pride and calling in outside management from an agency with wide experience of major projects such as Network Rail and letting them negotiate with the contractor.

But do get on with it.

William Aitken

Easter Warriston

Edinburgh

Otto Inglis (Letters, 4 November) is correct to say that if we don't need something then we shouldn't do it. But for as long as we are controlled by self-promoting politicians, we are going to have endless and costly vanity projects foisted off on us.

The next two that we really don't need are the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

If these two pointless enterprises don't sink us it will be a miracle.

Malcolm Parkin

Gamekeepers Road

Kinnesswood, Kinross