Tramline company ‘deliberately misled council leaders’

Work on Edinburgh’s tramline was three years late and £231 million over budget
Work on Edinburgh’s tramline was three years late and £231 million over budget
ANTHONY DEVLIN/PRESS ASSOCIATION

A former leader of Edinburgh council says its members were “misled” by the arm’s-length company established to deliver the city’s tramline.

Donald Anderson claimed that councillors and local authority officers were “deliberately denied access” to information about the £776 million trams project by officials at Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (Tie). He was giving evidence for a second day at the inquiry into the project, which opened a truncated route in 2014, three years late and £231 million over budget.

Mr Anderson, Labour leader of Edinburgh city council from 1999 to 2006, was challenged over his assertion that during a damaging contractual dispute Tie presented “deliberate misinformation” about the project to councillors.

Douglas Fairley, QC, representing former Tie employees, guided Mr Anderson through minutes and reports from