TfL wastes £20 million starting then halting Tube projects
January 5, 2009 4:42 PM
In http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23791278-tfl-wastes-pound-20m-starting-then-halting-tube-projects.do
In http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23791278-tfl-wastes-pound-20m-starting-then-halting-tube-projects.do
TfL wastes £20m starting then halting Tube projects
Transport for London spent £20 million starting access projects at Tube stations last year only to down tools because it could not afford to finish the job.
Mayor Boris Johnson has admitted some work had to be halted because TfL is struggling with falling revenues and the costs caused by the collapse of contractor Metronet.
As a result work was stopped on "step-free" access projects at Amersham, Greenford, Ladbroke Grove, Newbury Park, Osterley and West Kensington stations.
This has left wheelchair users and parents with buggies among those struggling to use the stations as they wait for lifts to be installed. TfL says it plans to start work again this year but at the moment the money must go to larger projects that benefit the greatest number of people.
Critics claim that new figures show that TfL has been guilty of throwing away £20 million of taxpayers' money and not helping those Londoners who need it most.
Mr Johnson, who was today visiting Shoreditch High Street station, said: "TfL is experiencing a loss in revenue due to the current economic climate and increased costs due to the impact of the Metronet collapse, which necessitated some difficult decisions.
"We will continue to increase the accessibility of the Tube over time, building on the foundation of 58 step-free stations already in place.
"However, available resources will be targeted at the stations where major station redevelopment work is already planned, thereby combining step-free access with congestion relief schemes, which is a better way to use existing budgets ... London Underground has spent under £20 million so far on work at these six sites."
The spending was revealed by City Hall's Lib-Dems. Transport spokesman Caroline Pidgeon said: "Despite all their excuses the harsh fact is that TfL has wasted the staggering sum of £20 million starting but then abandoning step-free access projects
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