The Cable Car crossing, which has seen passenger numbers dive since the Olympics, is only a ‘tourist attraction’ according to local Labour Assembly Member John Biggs. The £60 million Emirates Air Line is supposed to carry 2,500 passengers an hour but figures released by News Shopper from September show it only ferried 229 people an hour.
The Cable Car was originally supposed to cost the taxpayer nothing. In fact sponsors Emirates will only pay £36million over 10 years of the total £60million cost. In return the sponsors logo and name will appear on every tube map in London.
Local Labour London Assembly Member, John Biggs said:
“It is a useful tourist attraction but it’s not a serious transport system and at a time of massive budget pressures we need to ask whether the mayor was right to spend hard-pressed taxpayers money on it.
“While a new river crossing is welcome, it is a real shame locals have to pay additional costs to cross the river when fares are already so high. Perhaps if the cost of the river crossing was incorporated into a Zone 1-4 travelcard then it would be better used by local people, and not just visitors to London looking for a nice day out.”
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