The
Public
Inquiry
into
the
troubled
history
of
the
project
to
restore
trams
to
Edinburgh
has
concluded
that
the
seriously
delayed
and
much-reduced
result,
at
a
cost
which
was
much
greater
than
expected,
was
due
to
a
‘litany
of
avoidable
failures’.
The
original
scheme
had
featured
three
tram
lines,
but
when
trams
eventually
started
running
in
2014,
five
years
late,
they
served
a
14km
route
which
was
only
part
of
Line
1.
The
tram
fleet
was
much
larger
than
necessary
because
it
had
been
ordered
with
the
full
network
in
mind
and
attempts
were
made
to
lease
the
surplus
vehicles
to
other
tram
operators,
including
Transport
for
London,
but
without
success.
The
first
line
from
Edinburgh
Airport
to
the
city
centre
via
Haymarket
was
extended
from
the
temporary
city
centre
terminus
to
Newhaven
in
June,
but
a
large
proportion
of
the
network
remains
on
the
drawing
board.
The
inquiry
has
been
chaired
by
Lord
Hardie
and
was
set
up
nine
years
ago.
The
process
has
cost
more
than
£13
million,
and
involved
the
examination
of
more
than
three
million
documents.
The
inquiry
report
runs
to
961
pages.
The
main
conclusion
is
that
Edinburgh
City
Council
must
take
some
of
the
responsibility,
along
with
its
development
company
TIE
(originally
Transport
Initiatives
Edinburgh),
which
the
report
says
failed
to
collaborate
effectively
with
the
council
and
the
tramway
contractors,
who
became
increasingly
impatient.
The
final
report
was
accompanied
by
a
video
message
from
Lord
Hardie,
in
which
he
says:
‘TIE’s
failures
were
the
principal
cause
of
the
failure
to
deliver
the
project
on
time
and
within
budget,’
but
adds
that
the
council
‘must
also
share
principal
responsibility
with
TIE
for
the
delays
in
design’.
He
also
says
the
Scottish
Government
‘recognised
their
mistake
in
withdrawing
the
oversight
of
Transport
Scotland
officials
designed
to
protect
the
public
purse’.
Lord
Hardie
has
made
24
recommendations,
including
considering
whether
new
laws
are
needed
to
provide
civil
and
criminal
action
against
people
or
companies
who
knowingly
submit
reports
including
false
statements
to
councillors.
Other
recommendations
include
that Scottish
Ministers
should
undertake
a
review
of
public
inquiries
to
determine
the
most
cost-effective
method
of
avoiding
delay,
in
the
interests
of
protecting
the
public
purse
and
maximising
the
benefits
from
public
expenditure
on
major
projects,
that
Scottish
Ministers
should
contemplate
establishing
a
joint
working
group
consisting
of
officials
in
Transport
Scotland
and
representatives
of
the
Convention
of
Scottish
Local
Authorities,
and
that
the
procurement
strategy
for
any
future
light
rail
project
should
make
adequate
provision
for
the
uncertainties
concerning
the
location
of
utilities
and
redundant
equipment.
He
continued:
‘What
is
clear
from
the
inquiry’s
work
is
that
there
was
a
litany
of
avoidable
failures
on
the
parts
of
several
parties
whose
role
it
was
to
ensure
that
public
funding
was
spent
effectively
and
to
the
benefit
of
Scotland’s
taxpayers,
and
that
the
Edinburgh
Trams
Project
was
delivered
efficiently.
‘Poor
management
and
abdication
of
responsibility
on
a
large
scale
have
had
a
significant
and
lasting
impact
on
the
lives
and
livelihoods
of
Edinburgh
residents,
and
the
reputation
of
the
city.’
Scottish
Conservative
MSP
for
the
Lothians
Miles
Briggs
said:
‘Lord
Hardie
is
highly
critical
of
councillors
and
the
arms-length
bodies
responsible
for
the
project,
but
he
also
singles
out
Scottish
government
for
criticism.
He
is
clear
that
ministers
failed
to
protect
the
public
purse
and
acted
in
the
SNP’s
political
interests,
rather
than
the
public
interest.’
Cabinet
secretary
for
transport
Mairi
McAllan
said
the
Scottish
Government
would
take
time
to
consider
the
report,
but
he
added:
‘The
inquiry
took
too
long,
was
too
costly
and
in
some
instances
the
evidence
heard
does
not
support
the
conclusion
drawn.’
When
the
4.7km
extension
to
Leith
and
Newhaven
carried
its
first
passengers
in
June,
councillors
said
it
had
opened
on
time
and
within
budget.
