LONDON UNDERGROUND MUST SHARE BLAME IN PPP'S POOR PERFORMANCE - POPE

5.23.25pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 24th Jul 2006

Commenting on London Underground's Third annual PPP report, Liberal Democrat Chair of the London Assembly, Geoff Pope, said:

"Today's PPP report proves just how right our warnings of disaster were. Gordon Brown forced this expensive recipe for failure, blame and counter-blame on Londoners.

'Londoners are fed up with endless delays, cancellations, overcrowding and unbearable temperature. Solutions must come through smarter engineering, better ways of working and closer cooperation.

'But London Underground's intolerably smug attitude in the PPP report is all 'blame the tube companies'. New Labour gave us the blame culture - what London needs is a 'can do' culture."

ENDS

Notes to the editors

1. The report, notably in the Foreword by Managing Director, Tim O'Toole, contains no element of criticism of London Underground itself, or of its capacity to manage its relations with Metronet and Tube Lines. Neither company is in a position to go public with criticisms of London Underground or its levels of bureaucracy.

2. The report shows that on renewal projects which are part of TfL's £10bn Investment Programme the Infracos, particularly Tube Lines, have demonstrated the ability to deliver, on time and on budget.

3. It also reports an unacceptable failure by Metronet and Tube Lines to meet the challenges laid down to them last year. Metronet have failed to deliver on their renewal programme, particularly stations, and to maintain the District line track to LU standards. Tube Lines have failed to improve the performance of the Northern line to the standards demanded by LU and the PPP contract.