Letters: Counting the cost

After reading the unsurprising news that the council wishes to continue with a partial Edinburgh trams project to Saint Andrew Square, I really must comment what a "laughing stock" Edinburgh has become (your reports).

From the start of the consultation process on the Edinburgh trams proposal, it was clearly evident there was not a strong business case for this project to be approved, so a good few senior transport/city development officials, who have made some poor comments, decisions and recommendations to the City of Edinburgh Council regarding the "way forward", should seriously consider their positions. The project has cost us a fortune and the fiasco is not over yet.

Indeed, this failed project will provide a test case that will wreak havoc to any future proposed light rail projects in the UK. The council chief executive, Sue Bruce, recently commented that, "a modern public transport system is a catalyst for investment, jobs, regeneration and cleaner air". Is this woman trying to fool herself with such "spin"?

She's certainly not fooling the critical citizens of Edinburgh. The city already has a modern transport system Sue. Have you not noticed? The addition of a fixed, inflexible tram line to the city centre is no more than an extravagant tourist attraction, which will be a "loss maker" when one considers it from a business perspective. It's high time that senior council officials apologised for this total failure of a project.

B JACKS

Craigleith Hill

Edinburgh

When major projects go out to tender, as they should, the contract will be awarded to the lowest bidder whose submission satisfies the specification for the project. It is understood that unforeseeable circumstances might justify an increase in the price. Otherwise, the contractor is obliged to stick to the terms on which they gained the contract. If they underestimated in order to secure the contract, tough. A relative of mine who runs a small company has just seen his business nearly wiped out because on one contract he underestimated the labour costs. It was a fixed price contract, so his company took the hit.

We now have a fixed proposal regarding the Edinburgh trams (your reports). It is proposed to complete the tram line from Edinburgh Airport to St Andrews Square at an overall cost of 770 million. If there is a cost over-run, who will take the hit?

In my view, the contractors, councillors and council officials who are pursuing this folly should meet the cost of every penny above 770m. But I'm pretty sure that Edinburgh citizens will end up paying the bill

HAMISH DEWAR

Craiglockhart Grove

Edinburgh