Indecision can be a frustrating thing, as they say ‘procrastination is the thief of time’. This is certainly something we’ve seen a lot of recently over the future of London’s ailing underground system. Finally, and I do mean finally, the much talked about Public Private Partnership of the London Underground has started, bringing about an end to months of heated argument and acrimonious fall outs.
The vehement, sometimes aggressive opposition to the PPP by London’s Mayor, Ken Livingstone has come to nothing leaving Livingstone looking nothing if not undermined. The British government finally steamrolled its way to success on a policy it never looked likely to back down on.
The public sparing match of Mayor v Government at times looked worthy of a Don King promotion. 50 rounds later the result is in and the government won by sheer brawn.
Well that’s the situation, PPP is up and it’s not going to change for the foreseeable future. Now at least there has been a decision, and from a decision comes the opportunity to move forward and get things done. But ask the average London commuter, and the wasted time has left one of the world’s most intricate network of tunnels looking like something of a joke. It simply took too long to sort out.
The system’s hundreds of kilometres of tunnels, built over the last two centuries, is undisputedly an engineering achievement worthy of high praise indeed. It seems a shame that this has been over-shadowed by the drawn out power struggles that have ensued over what to do with it.
In the high risk, high finance construction industry, tough on-site decisions are a daily occurrence. I’m just glad it’s engineers making these, and not politicians.
