GLA PLENARY QUESTION TIME – 9/12/09
Posted on 15. Dec, 2009 by Richard Barnbrook in Latest News
Last Wednesday I had an opportunity to question Boris Johnson in his capacity as Chairman of Transport for London (TfL) and Peter Hendy Chief Excutive of TfL.
My question is detailed below:
If Tube Lines do not renew their Public Private Partnership (PPP) Contract at the end of 2009, what are the contingency plans for finishing the Jubilee Line upgrade plus any other outstanding Tube Lines work and will PPP be dead in the water?
London Tonight ran a story last night on this and the reporter finished by saying PPP could be dead in the water, I thought to myself sounds familiar!
With Metronet going out of business in 2007 and Tube Lines looking like they won’t renew their Contract with TfL in 2010 this Labour inspired PPP initiative has been an unmitigated and expensive disaster (that sounds familiar too, invasion of Iraq coming to mind). Funding on London Transport will be left with a massive black hole and there will be no choice but to turn to the hardpressed Taxpayer to fill the gap along with more inflation busting fare rises on the travelling public.
The taxpayer is pumping as much money into transport today as they were before it was privatised, lets bring it under public ownership and instead of private company shareholders being beneficiaries any profits can be ploughed back in for the benefit of travellers.
