Sadiq Khan “hopeful, but not confident” about TfL deal as funding expires tomorrow
London mayor Sadiq Khan said today he is “hopeful, but not confident” of securing a long-term deal for Transport for London (TfL) as government funds are set to expire tomorrow.
“It’s really important for the government to realise, these sticking plasters in the short, medium and long term cost us more,” the Evening Standard reported Khan as saying.
“What I’d say to the government is not only do we need support to deal with the consequences of the pandemic – the only reason we’ve got this challenge is because Londoners did the right thing – but also, we need a long-term deal in terms of capital, to make sure we can make progress with electric buses, electric taxis, investing in infrastructure.
“If the government doesn’t, not only will it be bad for London – we support, across the country, 43,000 jobs. I worry about our ability to do so going forwards.”
Khan’s comments come a day after the London Assembly’s transport committee pleaded with transport secretary Grant Shapps to secure long-term funding, otherwise the public would be paralysed.
“Due to the continued short-term funding agreements, TfL cannot plan ahead to efficiently and effectively procure necessary services and investment” Caroline Pidgeon, the committee’s chair, said. “There is an inherent inefficiency to this way of working.”
Khan’s ‘hoping for the best but expecting the worst’ attitude echoed that of TfL’s commissioner Andy Byford.
“We are very focused along with the government to try and get a long-term capital deal and operating support to take us through 2023 and 2024 by which point we said we will be financially self-sufficient,” Byford told City PM last week. “Will we get that? I don’t know but we are really trying.”
Without government backing, the public body is at risk of sinking into a £1.5bn financial black hole that will cut hundreds of services.