12 Nov 2007
The UK government must try and stop the Galileo satellite navigation programme from going ahead unless a rigorous cost-benefit analysis has been produced, say MPs.
Galileo is the proposed EU satellite navigation system which has cost UK taxpayers £97m to date.
A report published today by the Transport Select Committee recommends that no more money should be spent until the benefits have been assessed, said committee chairwoman Gwyneth Dunwoody, MP.
"This is an EU vanity project. What taxpayers in the UK and other European countries really need and want is better railways and roads, not giant signature projects in the sky," she said.
Only one of 30 satellites has been launched for the system, despite being due for completion in 2008.
Delays are the result of a failed public-private partnership which was set up to design and operate the network – largely because of a lack of corporate interest.
The government-commissioned cost-benefit analysis of the project being carried out by Esys will be completed next month - the first analysis of this type carried out for the government, despite a recommendation by the Transport Committee three years ago.
There was a clue to the lack of Galileo's viability when the commercial partners pulled out.
Using a line like 'we can't trust the USA'...well, why stop at Galileo? We'd better scrap Trident and build our nukes from scratch, start a whole separate Internet, ground all Boeings...
The billions would be much better spent saving real lives and educating kids, ie investing in hospitals and schools.
Posted by: Robert Stevens 28 Nov 2007
GPS is a US military project. It is old and the positioning information is not precise enough for civil navigation, road tolls etc. The new Galileo network will give EU states guaranteed access to a space-borne precise timing and location service independent of the United States. The US is lobbying hard to keep their global strategic monopoly as no modern war can be fought without their GPS. UK politicians are dancing to Sam's tune again. How sad and short-sighted.
Posted by: Catalina Martinez, IITM.info 13 Nov 2007
Whilst I fully respect the comments and views of Gwneth Dunwoody, (also as one of her constituents for a period of three years,) I fully believe and support the Galileo Project. Given that consumers are spending so much on GPS navigational devices, it is up to the EU to protect that investment. At the moment everything is rosy, but the US can easily alter the accuracy of their GPS - meaning were they to become (more) hostile to the EU - much of our navigational equipment (both civilian and military) would become useless.
Please reconsider based on the facts above.
Posted by: Andy Loughran 12 Nov 2007
Galileo would remove one of the biggest flaws with GPS that has caused a severe degredation of its positioning abilities for years. Galileo would remove the control of European navigation from an unstable government's military forces, and put it in our hands.
Posted by: James 12 Nov 2007
The Americans have shown they can't be trusted ...... period. However 10 Billion Euros is robbery, it could be done for well under 1 Billion. It is time the EU put engineers in charge, preferably Scots ones who will keep an eye on the engineering and demand more bang per Euro.
Posted by: John 12 Nov 2007
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