Boris calls for end to flawed’ Public-Private Tube upgrade contracts

By Mike Brooke

BORIS Johnson is calling on the Government to end Public-Private partnership’ contracts for modernising the London Underground.

It follows the Commons Transport Select committee’s confirmation this week that partnership’ deals are flawed and just aren’t working for London.

“This is the latest in a litany of damning verdicts on Public-Private partnership,” said the Mayor. “The system has wasted public money, yet the Government continues to wash its hands of the mess it has created.”

He added: “The Government must review it urgently to make sure Londoners get the upgrades they were promised, in full and on time.”

He is worried the modernisation of the Northern Line now getting the green light will lead to the same misery the public has suffered on the Jubilee Line upgrading through East London and the West End, with its continual weekend closures over the past 18 months.

Boris is pressing Tube Lines, the private consortium given public cash to modernise the Jubilee and Northern lines, to revise its “hugely disruptive closure plans which will mean untold misery” for passengers and businesses.

The Commons Select committee found Tube Lines’ failure to complete the Jubilee upgrade on time “unacceptable” and called on the company to avoid similar overruns with the Northern. Its report said: “The Public-Private partnership’ scheme is flawed.”

It is the latest in a string of Government and Parliamentary attacks on Public-Private partnership’ including the Transport Department and the Lords Economic Affairs committee.

Transport for London has long argued that partnership’ deals are expensive and inefficient for upgrading the Underground. It carried out its own upgrading of the Victoria Line on time and on budget, City Hall points out, after taking on the task when Metronet contractors collapsed.