5 June 2014
TRAMS INQUIRY SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO COVER GOVERNMENT’S OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
Some of Scottish Government’s other transport projects have seen greater cost escalation then Edinburgh Trams
Transform Scotland, the national alliance for sustainable transport, has today (Thursday 5th June) called for the planned inquiry into the Edinburgh Trams scheme to be extended to cover the other infrastructure projects that the Scottish Government has allowed to go massively over budget.
Transform Scotland director Colin Howden said:
“The delays and cost escalation that the Edinburgh Trams project has suffered has certainly damaged the prospects for significant public transport investment in Scotland. So we will be interested to see what the First Minister’s inquiry uncovers.
“It will certainly be interesting to find out what role in the cost escalation can be attributed to the Scottish Ministers’ decision in 2007 to withdraw Transport Scotland’s involvement from the project.
“However, it is disappointing that the inquiry will not cover the cost escalation that is rampant across the other transport infrastructure projects that the Scottish Government manages. The urban M74 ended up costing almost three times the cost at which it was initially approved by Scottish Ministers. Meanwhile, the Aberdeen western bypass project is currently projected to cost six times the price at which it was approved by Ministers.
"The Edinburgh tram scheme was announced at £375 million in 2003 and its final price is £776 million. The scope of the project has, of course, been significantly scaled back — but it is open to question as to whether the Aberdeen western bypass or the Edinburgh Trams scheme has suffered greater cost escalation.
"We would welcome similar levels of political scrutiny of the rest of the Scottish Government’s infrastructure investment plans."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
[1] Transform Scotland
Transform Scotland is the national sustainable transport alliance, bringing together rail, bus and shipping operators, local authorities, national environment and conservation groups, businesses and local transport groups - see <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/members.aspx> for details.
[2] Transport project cost escalation
The M74 was initially priced at £245m in 2000 (source: parliamentary written answer S1W-15440); its final price upon opening in 2011 was £692 million (source: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=10920).
The Aberdeen western bypass was given the go-ahead by Scottish Ministers in 2003 at a price of £120m (source: <http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2003/01/2984> and <http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2003/12/4654>). It is currently projected to cost £745m (source: <http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/project/aberdeen-western-peripheral-route-balmedie-tipperty>).
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