Labour candidate wants to set up not-for-profit organisation to bid against Abellio, Arriva, London Sovereign, London United and Quality Line
Labour’s Sadiq Khan, who is hoping to become the next London mayor, has pledged to ‘stop London bus commuters subsidising public transport in Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin,’ according to the London Evening Standard.
After making a freedom of information request, Khan highlighted that ‘five European companies, owned by French, Dutch and German state-owned transport firms, operate nearly 40% of the capital’s 744 bus routes.’
He said if elected he would ‘set up a not-for-profit organisation in Transport for London (TfL) to bid against the companies — Abellio, Arriva, London Sovereign, London United and Quality Line — for future bus contracts.’ He also said he would make sure that social enterprises and co-operatives could submit bids.
“London’s buses are the lifeblood of the city,” he said. “So many people rely on them but the cost of using the buses is a growing concern, and the hard-pressed London commuter will be alarmed how much money is going in dividends or to subsidise the cost of a bus ticket in other European cities.”
A TfL spokesman said: “We’ve made huge improvements to the bus network over the last decade, and it is now one of the most extensive, frequent and accessible in the world.
“We are working to ensure that the bus network continues to play a central role in London’s economy and meets the needs of a rapidly growing population.”
