Back in November I got a tip off that Londoners were paying to transport former TfL commissioner, now Network Rail Chairman, Sir Peter Hendy’s luggage between his new office and Victoria Coach Station and I couldn’t resist asking TfL if the claims were true.
Ever so slightly outside the statutory 20 day deadline for FOI responses, today they sent me the following answer:
“Thank you for your email received by us on 7 November 2016 asking for information on costs incurred on behalf of Sir Peter Hendy since July 2015. I am sorry for the delay in replying.
“Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
“With Sir Peter, we have reviewed the arrangements that were in place for a TfL vehicle to transport a bag or bags containing his weekend work between Network Rail’s headquarters in Waterloo and Victoria Coach Station, and have agreed they will be discontinued.
“The vehicle was only used when it was not required by TfL. We do not hold a breakdown of the costs, which are unlikely to be material. Sir Peter has made donations to the London Transport Museum and to the Railway Children charity in recognition of TfL’s assistance to him.
“No other costs have been incurred by TfL.”
It’s good that Sir Peter – who recently rejoined the Greater London Authority – has dug into his pocket to cover the apparently incalculable cost and it’s reassuring to read via the belated response that it was just his “weekend work” being transported and not, as I’d been told “his clean pants”.
If Sir Peter’s looking for tips on how to move his papers around in future, he might like to know TfL runs a similar service to the bespoke private one he’s been benefiting from.
Running to a regular schedule and identifiable by their largely red paint work, shared vehicles can be boarded at the stops located a few minutes walk from the coach station…
