• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 05 September 2001

I have an enormous interest in the riverboat, Ken. Last year the riverboats helped out a great deal when we had a tube strike. Do think they're going to have to do that again very soon when your friends from the RMT carry out their threats?

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 05 September 2001

Do you feel that London Transport's riverboats should have a guide doing a commentary to tell people what they can see from the river?

• Question by: Louise Bloom
• Meeting date: 05 September 2001

So we'll get the opportunity to actually discuss the items individually?

• Question by: Louise Bloom
• Meeting date: 05 September 2001

What's happening about it? Can you give us any indication of progress on that? Because that's obviously a key decision.

• Question by: Louise Bloom
• Meeting date: 05 September 2001

Well we shall look forward to that discussion. Can you also tell us what the state is of the bids put into TfL by London River Services for a subsidy? You mentioned it just now. Is it being seriously considered and when are we likely to get a decision on this?

• Question by: Louise Bloom
• Meeting date: 05 September 2001

So do you see the riverboat system more as for tourists then, than for the use of regular commuters, which, if you do, I think is rather a shame when that would be a useful addition to the congestion charging strategy, to encourage people to use the riverboats. I believe back as far as 1993 there were about 3,000 people using the riverboats every day when there were more heavy subsidies than we get at the moment.

• Question by: Louise Bloom
• Meeting date: 05 September 2001

Thank you for that. You mentioned the use of travel pass, but is it not the case that on the riverboats Travel Card holders only actually get a one-third reduction and surely there would be better use of the service if the riverboats counted in on the travel pass, the same as the buses and tubes. Would that not encourage more people to use the service?

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 05 September 2001

Do you think 0.2% actually may well run to quite a few millions in terms of budget, probably more than you're going to collect off your congestion charge? And it will all be because the Mayor of London who gets support from yet another strike on the Underground and so this time we will know you're in total support of RMT, total support of that strike and then when people cannot use those tubes on that day, they can justifiably blame you as the Mayor.

• Question by: Lord Duvall of Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich OBE
• Meeting date: 05 September 2001

So the expertise on the Board isn't being fully utilised in developing or implementing the strategy?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 05 September 2001

Just following Len, Are you satisfied, as a board member, that you and the other board members have an adequate day to day oversight and control of the affairs of TfL? I've one other little question.