Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, commenting on today’s draft decision by the Arbiter for the London Underground Public-Private Partnership (PPP) on the future maintenance of the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, said:
A staggering gap of £400 million exists between the Mayor’s calculations and the true cost of further upgrading the Tube. With the Mayor and Transport for London having no contingency for funding this gap it is hard to see what options the Mayor has other than raising fares further or cutting back on the Tube upgrades.
The arbiter’s decision also raises questions as to how the current programme of upgrades will be completed by Tube Lines when there is already a dispute between London Underground and Tube Lines over work now taking place totalling £500 million.
Gordon Brown’s discredited PPP has been nothing but a lawyer’s paradise with its horrendous bill now being made by Londoners.
The Guardian also has a story covering the issue and quoting Caroline:
Caroline Pidgeon, the chair of the London Assembly transport committee, warned that responsibility for filling the £400m funding hole must not fall on commuters through further above-inflation fare hikes or service cuts. "The question is whether the government will now step in to help Transport for London with additional funding, rather than leaving London to shoulder the burden," Pidgeon said.
Also, there is further news coverage on Dave Hill's London blog at the Guardian, and on the MayorWatch website.