State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss blames Israel Railways for most of the flawed planning, cost overruns, missed timetables, and failure to meet Planning Authority requirements for the high-speed Tel Aviv-Jerusalem railway. The findings are included in the Annual State Comptroller's Report for 2010.
Lindenstrauss said that, in 2007, Israel Railways did not submit essential documents to the planning commissions, which greatly delayed the start of work on the line.
The high-speed Tel Aviv-Jerusalem railway line was due to be completed in 2008, but is now expected to be completed only in 2016. Even now, Lindenstrauss found that permits for completing the project have still not been obtained.
Lindenstrauss cites the Sadan report, which said that an alternative route proposed by the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority, which would have minimized environmental damage along the route by eliminating the planned bridge over Nahal Yitla, had engineering advantages over the current route. Israel Railways disputes this.
Lindenstrauss lambasted the Ministry of Transport on the quality of railway service caused by the lack of supervision over Israel Railways' operations. He states, "The ministry has not set criteria for improving passenger service, or set sanctions for failing to meet them."
Lindenstrauss notes that the Ministry of Transport does not oversee Israel Railways' operations as it does for bus services. For its part, Israel Railways has not established procedures for handling complaints, or set measures to avoid similar sources of complaints in the future. He added that Israel Railways should make an effort to improve punctuality, especially during rush hour.
Lindenstrauss also sharply criticized Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) (TASE: ELEC.B22) for its lack of transparency, inefficiencies, hiring of consultants without tenders, and profligacy.
Turning to farming, Lindenstrauss said that poultry reforms proposed by Minister of Agriculture Shalom Simhon will benefit members of his family and to himself personally
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 11, 2010
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