Another New Labour IT Failure: Department for Transport

Here we go again:

One of the worst blunders ever seen on Whitehall saw a 'cost-cutting' computer system end up spouting answers in German and leaving taxpayers with a bill of more than £80million. 

However, the department now admits that the programme will cost £121million and produce savings of just £40million, resulting in an overall cost to the taxpayer of £81million. 

A damning report from MPs today accuses the Department for Transport of 'stupendous incompetence' in its management of a multi-million pound efficiency drive. 

It said a programme to save £57million in administration costs had instead left taxpayers facing an £81million bill. 

Workers were left struggling with an IT system that issued messages in German, wrongly recorded that staff were off sick and randomly confiscated staff holidays....

From the Daily Mail

Tory MP Richard Bacon, another member of the committee, said: 'We saw the failure to test computer systems adequately with tax credits and with the Passport Agency. 
'These were well-known bear-traps but the Department for Transport blundered straight into them. It is way past time that Whitehall learned to stop making the same old mistakes again and again.' 

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker said: 'Here's yet another Government Holy Grail which has so far failed to bring any benefit.' 

The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance. - Cicero - 55 BC

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