politics

How's this for a scenario?

Watkins has realised the current fare structures are impossible to implement within the proposed new system. How to save face?

Publicly announce that, 'reluctantly', owing to the advanced state of the trials and hardware installation, and rather than lose the 60 million already invested, he 'reluctantly' agrees to a new fare structure which will fit the confines of what is now know as the only real option for any mass transport system, that is a simplified distance-based arrangement, regardless of mode of transport (bus, rail, ferry etc)...

He looks good, by vowing publicly to continue to work for the best interests of the people of NSW, hence saving them the total loss of funds already invested, he accepts that another tender process and subsequent installation/trial would take years, and not wanting to inconvenience the good citizens of NSW any further, he 'reluctantly' proposes an extension of the current contract to allow for rail trials to commence mid 2008.

Either that, or we're all f...ed.