PPP - Dragged, Kicking and Screaming

Written by Graham Tope on Thu 21st Mar 2002

I had to laugh about the Tube this week - and it's not often I can do that. The official London Underground website - thetube.com - has been running a poll on the Government's plans to part-privatise the Tube. Vote 'yes' to no more delay - let's get on with fixing the Tube - and vote 'no' if you back Transport Commissioner Bob Kiley, who says that he wants to go back to court to block PPP investment in the Tube.

It's a question seemingly designed to confuse and mislead, but the visitors to this website - and Londoners as a whole - aren't stupid. They voted 'no' in their thousands, until, to save their blushes, LU stopped the poll.

So the people have their say but London Underground ignores them because it doesn't support their preferred plans. But LU are only doing what the Government has been doing all along over the Public-Private Partnership scheme (PPP).

By continuing with its plans to part-privatise the Tube, the Government has shown how little it regards the concerns of London commuters. It has treated Londoners with utter contempt which, after years of tube hell, commuters do not deserve.

The Railtrack debacle highlighted the risks of privatisation, but the Government seems intent on repeating them with the Tube. Acknowledged transport experts have condemned the Tube PPP on both cost and safety grounds, but the Government refuses to pull the plug on PPP.

Now we hear that the private sector companies being brought in to run London Underground are expecting to make billions in profit. It is a win-win situation for the private companies. Evidence is building that council tax payers - not the private companies - will have to foot the bill if PPP fails.

The latest consultation exercise, which ends this week, will be a typical Labour sham. Whatever the outcome, the Government will continue to refuse to listen to sense. Despite the overwhelming evidence against PPP, and the protests of the public and politicians, the Government refuses to remove its blinkers, take the initiative and drop its flawed plans.

The London Assembly Liberal Democrats have backed the Mayor in his efforts to ensure the Tube is handed over in a state that will ensure passengers' safety and will provide value for money - and to save Londoners from paying out for promised improvements that may never arrive. He should keep on fighting to stop this scheme - if he doesn't, how could he look London in the face again?

And if the worse comes to the worst and we are forced into PPP, at the very least we will be able to hold our heads high and say that we were dragged into it, kicking and screaming. And if it does goes wrong - as we fear it will - then the Government will be the only ones to blame.