In response to the IPPR North study on transport expenditure, Keith Prince AM, Chairman of the London Assembly Transport Committee, said:
“London has higher expenditure on transport because it has far more people using the transport network.
This appears to be Northern think tank over reaction to reality. Regional comparisons of transport spending are not being made on a like-for-like basis. Nor are they considering the demand for transport, the size of the economy or the amount of tax raised by London.
It’s not about a north-south divide – it’s about facts. The population of the capital city is expected to exceed 10 million by 2036.
London is the only UK city that has dared to introduce a congestion charge to get people out of their cars, reduce pollution and raise money to pay for rail services and buses.
Spending will also be greater on housing, health services and many other sectors – because it’s necessary – not because London is hell-bent on cheating the North out of money.
I don’t believe the Assembly Transport Committee would ever oppose further investment in the north – but not at the expense of the capital. Fuelling the north versus south argument is simply not the way to go about achieving what the North needs.”
Notes to editors
- Keith Prince AM, Chairman of the Transport Committee, is available for interview. See contact details below.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
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