It's crunch time for Edinburgh trams. The official mediation process between Edinburgh Trams, the City of Edinburgh Council and the construction consortium contracted to build the infrastructure element of the tram project, is underway this week.
Chaired by an independent mediator, the goal is to bring the long-running contractual dispute to a conclusion and, says the Edinburgh Trams release, "find a way forward for bringing trams to Scotland’s capital".
The mediation talks are shrouded in secrecy, although they reportedly are being held in luxury hotel Mar Hall near Glasgow. The talks are being carried out in private and all parties have agreed to maintain complete confidentiality.
Here's what Richard Jeffrey, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Trams, said of the talks:
“Mediation is a critical juncture for the tram project and I am confident that all parties can work together to find a way forward. While we understand that there is a lot of interest in the process it is vital that it is carried out in private in order for us to gain the best deal possible for the city and all those involved have agreed to maintain a policy of confidentiality throughout.”
The talks are expected to take up to two weeks. A mid-March conclusion was suggested in an Edinburgh Trams' statement earlier this year. Whether that was real time, or Edinburgh Trams time was not made clear.
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