Hans Christian Schmidt, the transport minister, has pulled the plug on a study into the effect of a new tram network in Copenhagen, DR reports.

In a letter to the Greater Copenhagen region Region Hovedstaden, Schmidt cited the unavailability of funds to make such a project a reality as the reason for withdrawing 17.5 million kroner of research funding.

But Per Homann Jespersen, a transport researcher at Roskilde University, is critical of this reasoning.

“Bar argument”
“It’s a very bad argument,” he said. “It’s unlikely that we’ll be getting more trams or bus lines in the coming years, but we still don’t know where they’re most needed.”

Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, the head of Region Hovedstaden, also expressed regret that the study will not be going ahead.

“It’s not just about Copenhagen,” she said. “It’s about connecting municipalities better, so we get a more attractive public transport that more citizens will use in the future.”

The government funds were pledged as part of a cross-party agreement under the last government.

Region Hovedstad also contributed 10 million kroner to the study and will now spend the money on other public transport projects.