The mayor of Vélez-Málaga, FranciscoDelgado Bonilla, continues to talk of resurrecting the Great White Elephant, the ill-fated Tranvia tram system which cost €30 million and plunged the municipality into debt.
The Council still owes money, €750,000, to the operating company for a third tram unit and still has to pay €200,000 a year on the first units which have been leased to the city of Sydney, Australia, for the same amount, €200,000.
In the meantime, despite the desire to one day reinstate the tram, the infrastructure is not being maintained and is falling into decay. The tracks are oxidising, lights are smashed and the glass at many of the stops has been smashed. Should the tram ever be reinstated, the taxpayer will have to fork out once more to renew this infrastructure.
Is it about time to admit that this was an ill-advised venture, a costly mistake, and draw a line under the whole project and chalk it up to experience?
Peter Wilkinson says:
Anyone with a knowledge of urban transport would have been against this project from the start. Why does the Mayor not just admit it was an ill conceived project and abandon the
whole idea and sell the track, catenary etc even if only scrap value could be achieved.
The last two paragraphs of your report answer the current state of affairs perfectly.