Taxpayers taken for a ride – again

THE creation of two new park and ride sites in Doncaster was clearly driven by the best of intentions and, specifically, the need to cut congestion.

Yet this does not mean public money can be spent impulsively. There is an obligation on all decision-makers to act responsibly at all times, even more so in these recessionary times when Britain is facing a record budget deficit.

This clearly did not happen in this instance. If this scheme had been properly assessed at the planning stage, and the views of local people adhered to, it would not have become a 20m "white elephant" used by just a few dozen motorists each day.

As Peter Davies, the Mayor of Doncaster, rightly intimates today, the poor take-up rate could – and should – have been foreseen by his predecessor, Martin Winter, and others.

The defence offered by operator First South Yorkshire – namely that usage has tripled in recent times – is also negligible. A three-fold increase is relatively straight-forward to achieve when starting from such a low base.

Yet there are two wider issues that can be drawn from this expensive fiasco. Given that this scheme has made no difference to road congestion in Doncaster, it is clear that this 20m could have been spent far more wisely on transport projects that could make a material difference to the lives of local residents.

Secondly, it is immensely worrying that the project's complicated funding arrangements – it was the beneficiary of 15m of Whitehall funding – means that it has to persist, even at a loss, or the Government may not view any future funding bids in a favourable light.

Unless this venture can be quickly turned around, it may be better if Doncaster cut its losses now – before even more damage is done to its battered civic reputation and even more resources diverted away from those much-needed transport improvements that are already long-overdue.