Not a penny more for failed PPP

10.00.15am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 19th Jul 2007

The London Assembly has passed a motion urging Mayor Ken Livingstone to ensure that placing Metronet in administration does not result in increases to fares on public transport or council taxes.

Proposing the motion Geoff Pope AM told the Assembly:

"Londoners are already paying over the odds with some of the highest public transport fares in the world and are entitled to expect the improved service the PPP promised. Tube passengers should not be asked to pay twice for Metronet's failure."

The full text of the motion is:

"This Assembly regrets the failure of the PPP initiated by Gordon Brown with respect to the Metronet, BCV and SSL contracts due to their poor delivery performance and the consequent inability of LU to manage the contracts on time and to budget.

This Assembly calls on the Mayor to ensure that sustainable business and financial arrangements are put in place so that Londoners do not pay any further price for the PPP failures, and that capacity upgrades for the Tube network and essential modernisation and passenger facilities including step free facilities are introduced at least as early as the original timetable.

Furthermore lessons learnt from issues identified by the arbiter should be acted upon."

Notes to Editors

1. This morning the Assembly questioned Mayor Ken Livingstone, Transport for London Commissioner Peter Hendy, London Underground Managing Director Tim O'Toole and Transport for London Director of Finance Steve Allen about the decision to place Metronet in administration. A webcast of the meeting can be viewed at http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/webcasts.jsp

2. The Motion was passed by 11 votes to 6.