MISSED TARGETS SHOWS TUBE PRIVATISATION WAS FLAWED

11.03.23am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 13th May 2005

Commenting on the failure of private underground firm Tube Lines to hit its target for train reliability in the first three months of this year, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, Lynne Featherstone, said:

"All the evidence shows that the deal struck by this Labour Government on the Tube was ill-judged, ill-conceived and poorly implemented. It has led to many Londoners' questioning why the Tube was privatised in the first place.

"Investment in our crumbling transport infrastructure has been welcome, but unless transport users start to see real improvements in the quality of the services, then they will question why they are being forced to pay higher fares.

"Mr Kiley and Mr Livingstone should act now to prevent commuters suffering even more. The responsibility of maintaining the infrastructure of the Tube should be brought back in house and run by Transport for London."

Ends

Notes to editors

The Liberal Democrat London manifesto proposed that:-

"Tube - Bring Tube maintenance back in house. Liberal Democrats in Westminster will introduce legislation which will allow Transport for London the ability to terminate the PPP contracts and take maintenance and upgrades back "in house", whilst raising additional revenues from bonds. This would be based on the model of recent changes at Network Rail - originally proposed, unlike Labour, by the Liberal Democrats in our General Election Manifesto in 2001. This must done only if a way can be found which did not have an adverse impact on London's taxpayers."

http://www.libdems.org.uk/media/documents/policies/ManifestoforLondon.pdf