A LEADING official from the French company due to operate Merseytram last night urged the region to take the "one small step" needed to make the project happen.
Jean-Pierre Deghaye, UK director of tram company Keolis, moved to reiterate his firm's confidence that the system can and will be built.
The Daily Post can today confirm the project has bid for an extra £18m from Europe, which would reduce the borrowing requirement on Merseytravel by almost half.
It comes a day after we revealed how £30m has already been spent on Line One, with the bill likely to rise by at least another £10m.
Keolis and the consortium partner, MPACT, will today send an upbeat guide on the project's finances to dozens of business organisations and partners in Merseyside.
They believe the simple guide will help clarify the current situation which has been subject to so much claim and counter-claim.
The note also outlines the immense cost to the region if the tram saga ended with no Line One being built, particularly for the new Kings Dock arena and Grosvenor development.
Mr Deghaye said: "The substantive funding issues have been resolved and all the potential risks have been identified and effectively addressed.
"We are a very short step away from giving this project the final green light. We must now take that one short step together."
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