Achtung! Transport savings in reverse.

THE Department for Transport was yesterday accused of "stupendous incompetence" after an investigation found an efficiency drive intended to save pounds 57m would give taxpayers a bill for pounds 81m.

A programme to cut administration costs left workers struggling with a computer system which occasionally issued messages in German.

The Commons Public Accounts Committee said the project was one of the worst it had examined and laid the blame with senior officials in the department.

In its report, the committee said: "Despite the extent of mismanagement in this case, no individuals have been dismissed or properly held to account."

The project to create the DfT's shared services centre in Swansea, which provides personnel, payroll and finance support to the department and its agencies, was originally forecast to cost pounds 55m but lead to pounds 112m in savings - a benefit of pounds 57m.

But the department now estimates the programme will cost pounds 121m and produce benefits of pounds 40m, a net cost to the taxpayer of pounds 81m.

Edward Leigh, the PAC's Tory chairman, said: "This is one of the worst cases of project management seen by this committee.

"The department knew that it was pushing things with such a tight timetable, but ploughed on. The result was lamentable.

"DfT staff do not trust the system, which is hardly surprising when we hear that on occasion it took to issuing messages in German."