Tube worse under PPP

12.00.00am GMT Tue 20th Jan 2004

According to internal documents leaked to the media earlier this month, the Tube has got worse since the introduction of the public private partnership. Train failures rose by 23 per cent, track problems increased by 20 per cent, while point failures soared by 38 per cent. Despite the Labour government's claim that the PPP would improve the Tube system, £32million worth of fines has been levied on the contractors for missing their targets. Cllr Laura Willoughby, highlighted the failings at a meeting with fellow Liberal Democrats. She said: ? This deterioration cannot be allowed to continue. The Mayor ? who, as chair of TfL, supposedly oversees the running of the Tube ? should commission the London Assembly's transport committee (chaired by Lynne Featherstone) to carry out a thorough examination of how well the PPP contracts are working, and seriously consider any recommendations the committee makes. ?The Lib Dems in London also think the government should work with the Labour Mayor of London to review the present lack of progress and consider whether to axe the PPP or revise the contracts. If the PPP must remain, extra government funding for faster upgrades of track and signalling, conditional on tighter performance targets and penalties, is needed.?