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原文传递 EXCLUSIVE: Transport's legal costs revealed as sector faces more scrutiny

题名：	EXCLUSIVE: Transport's legal costs revealed as sector faces more scrutiny
正文语种：	eng
作者：	Rhodri Clark
摘要：	Using information gained through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, Highways can reveal a snapshot of the increasing legal pressures transport authorities are under. Highways asked HS2 Ltd, Highways England, Transport Scotland and Network Rail how much they had spent in each of the last five years defending legal challenges brought by external parties against decisions and policies. In total more than £10m was spent since 2016 but not all of the records were divulged so the true figure could run to much more. The FOI requests related to each organisation's operation, maintenance, development and construction of infrastructure. They excluded matters such as 'accidents', personal injury claims or staffing issues, such as employment tribunals. They also excluded routine legal costs such as those associated with land purchase. Transport Scotland's statistics present the clearest picture of legal defence costs for an owner and operator of established transport infrastructure. They show a substantial increase every year. Costs in 2020 were more than three times their level in 2016 - a 233% increase. The costs include defending actions arising from operating and maintaining Scotland's trunk road network, including matters relating to flooding, which damaged personal property, Transport Scotland said. 'They also reflect expenditure incurred in the preparation and defence against actions raised by contractors, for example adjudications and commercial actions in the Court of Session, in the course of delivering construction contracts, and expenditure incurred in the preparation and defence of claims raised by external parties in the Lands Tribunal for Scotland arising from the compulsory acquisition of land for trunk road projects.'
出版年：	2021
期刊名称：	Highways
卷：	90
期：	4