Scrutinising the Mayor articles

Caroline Pidgeon has challenged Sadiq Khan to take a seat on Transport for London's remuneration committee and take ownership of preventing issues like the £50m spent on severance payments to departing staff last year.

Unlike the previous mayors, he has refused to join the committee.

Caroline said:

“The mayor of London is ultimately in charge of Transport for London yet Sadiq Khan has adopted a strange trick of distancing himself from the organisation when it conveniently suits his political needs.

Caroline Pidgeon AM, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member, commenting on the severance payments set out in TfL’s Annual Report, and the decision of the Mayor of London to commission a review into notice periods and severance arrangements for senior staff across the GLA Group, said:

"Passengers will find these huge severance payments galling at a time when Tube reliability has been in decline and many bus services are being cut back.

The Mayor of London has stood by his decision to cut in half the zero emission RV1 bus service, although after questioning by Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon he has admitted that the lack of advanced information given to passengers and local residents before the reduced service started was unacceptable.

The Mayor has refused to reverse the cuts to the RV1 bus service, which have left users with just three buses per hour - despite having spent £1 million on two new hydrogen-powered buses for the route just weeks before!

Caroline Pidgeon expressed the disappointment and frustration of local passengers:

"I welcome TfL at least admitting that it was unacceptable to suddenly cut in half the frequency of the RV1 without giving advance notice to customers and stakeholders.