The Herstal municipal council has decided, by 30 votes to two, to lodge an appeal with the Council of State against the decision of the Walloon MR-Les Engagés government to stop work on the extension of the tram to Herstal. The item had been urgently placed on the municipal council agenda by the PSH majority.
It was the socialist mayor, Frédéric Daerden, who introduced the subject. “It was a contract worth 57.9 million euros that had been awarded, the start of the work had begun last October before being stopped on August 29. This is a brutal decision taken without prior consultation with the local authorities of the City of Herstal”, first recalled Frédéric Daerden, whose political group had a vision of the future including the tram as a structuring transport.
A few weeks later, many unknowns remain, “in relation to the management of the work that has started and is in progress, to the management of the impacted infrastructure, the trees, the bus shelters, the lighting, etc.,” continued the mayor.
This work stoppage also has an impact on businesses, investors and residents living near the construction site, “who are worried about a situation that will last for months, even years,” added Frédéric Daerden.
According to the information that the latter was able to gather, six million euros have already been invoiced, the contracts providing for compensation of 15% of the amount increased by the actual costs incurred. As for the alternatives proposed, namely electric bus lines, they are considered insufficient, according to the City.
During the 48-hour mayoral marathon, Frédéric Daerdan, head of Herstal, had already expressed his desire to lodge an appeal.
Herstal Tram of Liège
