Edinburgh Trams Chief Quits

Edinburgh's troubled trams project has suffered another setback. Trams chief David Mackay, who is also Chairman of Transport Edinburgh and Lothian Buses, announced today that he is quitting from his position as Chair of all three organisations. With immediate effect.

The sudden announcement comes at a time when the trams project - scheduled for completion in 2012 - is bogged down in a contractual dispute with Bilfinger Berger. Nobody is lined up to take Mackay's positions. A report on filling the vacancies will go to Council later this month.

Mackay has sharply criticised the German company that he has been contractually embroiled with, saying: "Bilfinger Berger was a delinquent contractor who scented a victim, who probably greatly underbid and who would use the contract to make life extremely difficult for the city. And they have done exactly that."

Explaining his decision for stepping down, he said in a statement:

“This project has been an enormously absorbing one and as such there was never going to be an entirely ideal time to step aside. In the past few months I have been keen to see a number of milestones set in place and this I have now done. I believe that for every Chair there comes an important juncture when the most powerful action you can take is to pass the controls to a successor and to then watch that organisation develop further under a new champion.

“The last few years have been stimulating and challenging and I believe that considerable progress has been made across many fronts and particularly, on Trams, where our imperative to protect the public purse has been notably successful."

“The time has now come when it is appropriate for me to move on which should allow me to refocus my energies on to a better, and probably much overdue, calmer work/life balance."

“I would particularly like to pay tribute to the many colleagues and peers I have worked with and those at Edinburgh Trams in particular who have shown remarkable resilience and energy in the face of what has been at times, a very difficult and complex situation.”

Appointed as Chair of Edinburgh Trams two years ago after Willie Gallagher's resignation, David Mackay has overseen the recruitment of the Richard Jeffrey as Chief Executive, and the subsequent realignment of the Edinburgh Trams organisation.

In January 2010 Mackay became Chairman of Lothian Buses, steering it towards the goal of creating an integrated public transport company (TEL) for Edinburgh.

Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, Councillor Jenny Dawe, said: “I am obviously disappointed to be losing the drive, commercial expertise and commitment which David brought to his chairmanship of Transport Edinburgh, Lothian Buses and Tie. However, I would like to express my sincere thanks to David and pay tribute to the pivotal role he has played on this enormously important project for the city."

Referring to the timing of the decision Dawe said: "I was aware that we were unlikely to retain David until full project delivery and fully appreciate his reasons for standing down at this point. Urgent steps will be taken to ensure that we build upon the very substantial foundation that David Mackay has built.”

Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, Transport Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council, added: “David has been a critical figure in ensuring that we get best value for the public purse and has been a formidable chairman on our behalf throughout the negotiations with our contractors. There is never an ideal time for a Chairman of David’s calibre to step aside, but with the appointments of Richard Jeffrey and Ian Craig, I believe that he leaves Tie, TEL and Lothian Buses in a much stronger place.”