
Dear Editor,
Last week, the Government gave Transport for London (TfL) a short-term emergency funding deal to keep transport services running for another six months- but it is laden with punitive conditions.
Londoners have done the right thing throughout the pandemic and stayed away from public transport where possible.
At the start of the pandemic, passenger numbers on the tube and buses plummeted. Since this time, TfL’s fares revenues have struggled to recover.
The financial impacts on TfL have been huge and far-reaching. Compared to other transport authorities, TfL is disproportionately reliant on fares income to keep operating. This is because, when he was Mayor, Boris Johnson agreed to cut £1bn of annual Government grant funding to TfL.
Despite this, Sadiq Khan managed to reduce the operating deficit at TfL, that he inherited from Boris Johnson, by 71% and increase its cash reserves by 13%. So, the only reason that TfL is now struggling is the pandemic.
In March 2020, Government Ministers handed private rail companies a blank cheque to keep them running for 18 months.
But they have treated TfL very differently. As part of the last sticking-plaster funding deal, they have imposed long-term cuts on TfL’s budget, amongst other damaging measures.
This could all have significant knock-on impacts down the line for transport services in Brent and Harrow and for local commuters.
For the sake of London’s recovery and that of the whole country, the Government has to urgently go back to the drawing board and provide TfL with a long-term funding and no-strings attached funding package.
Yours,
Krupesh Hirani AM
London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow