Lib Dem Concerns Over Congestion Charge Contracts

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 17th Oct 2002

The level of secrecy surrounding the details of the contract awarded to Capita and other contractors to run the congestion charging scheme is of great concern said London Assembly Liberal Democrat Sally Hamwee.

Following a London Assembly transport committee meeting with Derek Turner of Transport for London this morning, Sally Hamwee said:

"TfL failed to convince me at today’s meeting that there needs to be such a high level of secrecy surrounding the Capita contract."

"Capita are big enough to stand up to proper public scrutiny. They have a track record of problems delivering public sector contracts. They should not be immune from public scrutiny."

She added:

"Why has the Mayor allowed a contract to be signed between Capita and TfL that appears to allow Capita control over what details are released in to the public domain about that particular contract?"

"The key performance indicators that Capita have to meet, and their compensation in the event of early termination of the congestion charge scheme by the Mayor, are ‘confidential’ unless Capita agree to waive the restriction."

"I am asking the Mayor to explain in detail the tendering process that went on before this contract was awarded to Capita. He should tell the Assembly where the contract was advertised, how many companies expressed an initial interest in tendering, how many companies were invited to tender, how many companies actually submitted bids, who considered the final bids and which persons took the final decision to award the contract to Capita?"

"Why did the Mayor set up a contract where matters of public interest are not publicly available?"