• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS
  • Twitter

Livingstone Attacks Johnson Bus Figures

February 28, 2008 - Staff

Ken Livingstone has accused Conservative rival Boris Johnson of massively underestimating the cost of reintroducing conductors to the capital’s buses.

Speaking on BBC London radio today Mr Johnson said: “It’s absolutely true that if you are going to bring back a Routemaster, or have a new Routemaster, you would need a conductor with them. I have looked at the expense of that. It would cost £8million to have conductors on each of these buses per year”

Mr Livingstone’s campaign have dismissed the figures as “rubbish” claiming the real cost of re-introducing such conductors would be £108 million a year.

A spokesman for the campaign said each conductor “would cost around £40,000 a year once salary and add on costs such as national insurance, pension, recruitment, uniforms etc was taken into account. £8 million would therefore only pay for about 200 conductors.”

In a statement released tonight Mr Livingstone said: “If Boris Johnson can’t even tell whether a policy costs £8 million a year or £108 million a year this shows he is completely unable to run London’s transport system.”

“Boris Johnson should withdraw his claim that it would only cost £8 million a year to reintroduce conductors on London’s buses as it is completely false. He must admit that it would cost well over £100 million a year and involve huge bus fare increases.”

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Tagged With: 2008 GLA Election

RECENT UPDATES

852 new homes to be built in Acton by Transport for London

HGV operators in London urged to apply for a Direct Vision Standard permit

TfL proposes bus and tube cuts and annual fares increases to achieve long-term financial sustainability

London’s entire bus fleet now meets ULEZ emissions standards




Popular

1,700 extra Santander Cycles are coming to London’s streets

TfL confirms changes to Older Person’s Freedom Pass and 60+ Oyster card hours

TfL fares to rise in return for £1.6bn Government rescue package

Election for Mayor of London and London Assembly postponed until 2021

FEATURED

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

GOT A STORY?

As the original London news and scrutiny site we've been casting an eye over the capital's public services and politicians since 1999.

 

Many of our top stories started with a tip-off from a reader - if you've got something you'd like us to cover get in touch and we'll do the rest.

Stay In Touch

  • E-mail
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 MayorWatch Publications Limited · MayorWatch is Registered Trademark · All Rights Reserved · Contact Us · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy

MayorWatch Publications Limited · 20-22 Wenlock Road · London N1 7GU · Company Number 6291816

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.