Espoo town councillors press for western metro undertaking despite dramatically increased cost estimate

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Spokespersons for the largest political groups on the Espoo City Council are pressing on with the construction of the western Metro, despite its appreciably increased cost estimate.
      The leaders of the National Coalition Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Green League, and the Swedish People’s Party council groups agree that at any rate postponing the undertaking will certainly not cause its price to drop.
     
"The metro should have been built a long time ago", commented Susanna Rahkonen, spokesperson for the SDP.
      Still, at least by Monday the council groups had not yet decided on their official positions.
      While the Left Alliance group still calls for thorough discussions on the subject, the non-aligned members feel that the western Metro is simply "too expensive and unnecessary".
      When the Espoo City Council decided on the construction of the western Metro extension in September 2006, its total cost was estimated at EUR 452 million. The latest figure from the week before last is a whopping EUR 800 million.
     
Many decision-makers have publicly expressed their astonishment at the incommensurately increased cost estimate. "Whenever the cost of something suddenly nearly doubles, one cannot but think that somebody is trying to pull a fast one", said Matti Merra of the National Coalition Party, who also belongs to the board of the metro company.
      The councillors also called for the State to bear some responsibility. "The State’s stake is 30 percent, and that is non-negotiable", City Council Chairman Jukka Mäkelä (Nat. Coalition) stated.
      Juhani Tervala, Director-General at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, stated in Saturday’s Helsingin Sanomat that the swelling of the cost estimate puts the State in an awkward position.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Cost estimates for Espoo Metro soaring (5.9.2007)

Helsingin Sanomat