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£450,000 to drive bus to Beijing
Matthew Beard, Evening Standard03.03.08
A total of £450,000 of public money is being spent sending a London double-decker by road to Beijing.
Eight drivers are being recruited to take the bus 5,000 miles to the Chinese capital to coincide with this summer's Olympics.
Transport for London and London Olympic chiefs are paying for the trip, which Mayor Ken Livingstone believes will celebrate Anglo-Chinese cultural and economic links and provide a showcase for London's "world-class transport".
Critics say it is a waste of time and money. Hugh Robertson, shadow Olympics minister, said: "It would be much better to invest the money in re-invigorating grassroots sport across the capital, which is the promise we made to the International Olympic Committee, rather than wasting it on silly PR schemes."
Green Party London Assembly member Darren Johnson said: "The Mayor would be better off looking at how he can ensure the majority of people coming to the 2012 Olympics travel by rail rather than by air."
The drivers will be led by veteran explorer Mac Mackenney and have a support team and vehicle. They will drive in shifts during the three-month journey, reaching Beijing in time for the closing ceremony in August.
TfL commissioner Peter Hendy said: "The Bus to Beijing project is an extraordinary opportunity for London to showcase and celebrate its transport system through a globally recognised icon of the city."
Drivers are being urged to apply for the "trip of a lifetime" on full pay and 30 will be chosen after an assessment weekend before the final eight are picked to depart in June.
The bus will be a British-built Enviro 400, which runs on low-sulphur diesel. Mr Livingstoneis due to to take the Olympic torch from his Beijing counterpart at a ceremony to mark London's tenure as the next host city. He said: "What better way to celebrate the growing cultural and economic links between the UK and China than by giving a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to a group of London bus drivers to represent our city and our world-class transport to the rest of the world?"
Reader views (18)
What happened to the bus? There is no way of seeing this bus on the net OR to find any article taking about it. I missed the ceremony on TV and I want to see this bus, but it seams to be an extremely difficult task!
- Mike, United Kingdom
Tut tut, and there was me thinking Ken cared about carbon footprints. That makes more carbon emissions than a 4x4 in London!
Disgrace!
- Christopher John, London, England
If Ken's on it, it's money well spent!
- R M, London, UK
Presumably they will use the one that never comes when I'm waiting.
- John, Berlin, Germany
This is hilarious. If they'd bothered to watch 'Long Way Round', they'd realise there aren't any roads or bridges over there. The damn thing will pass Istanbul and then get stuck in the mud.
- J Bob, London
£450,000? I'll drive it all the way for 250 quid. Where do I sign?
- James, LA, California
Hope they've checked for low bridges!
- Dave, London
Thank God it's not a bendy bus, with the number of cyclists they run over on the streets of London, it'd be a massacre in Beijing.
- Theresa Green, New Malden
I'm a little confused ... how is this going to showcase our "world class" transport? There's nothing world class about living in a city with dirty buses, a creaking underground service and transport being some of the most expensive in the world ... oh, that's world class!
- Matt, London
Ding, ding; what a waste of public money Livingstone should change his name to DEADSTONE, and be taken to court for wasting public monies?
- A.Winsley, London. England
Can we send Ken Livingstone with it? (one way). Then we can all be happy at this otherwise pointless waste of our taxes.
- Jimbob, Kensington
This has got to be a Ken Livingstone special...!
- William, Fulham
And presumably 5,000 miles back again. If I dare to drive my "bus" - a Land Rover - in London, I am dubbed an idiot and am to be charged £25 for the privilege. When Ken wastes 10,000 miles of CO2 on a publicity stunt it is to "provide a showcase for London's world-class transport". That would be Third World, would it?
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one
It is difficult to imagine a more stupid way of wasting public money. Is there a committee that sits dreaming up these daft ideas? At a time when we are told to reduce carbon emissions why send a bus chugging around the world for no good reason?
- Bethany, Acton
Another day, another fantastic reason not to vote for Livingstone.
- Stuart Dean, Beckton, London
Well, it may be turned back when it arrives! I'm under the impression that NO diesel engined vehicles at all are allowed into Beijing. All the buses here run on LPG, or are hybrid battery/trolley types. Maybe best to check again!
- Tim, Beijing, China
Surely the bus will be filthy, dented and scratched by the time it gets to Beijing. Even if it hasn't been impounded en-route for dangerous driving, it'll be a pretty unappealing advert for London.
- Paul, London
Cliff Richard did it for free so why are we paying £450k? What a lark. So Richmond have to sell off my local running track as they they're short of cash, meaning there will not be a proper athletics track in a 10mile radius, but Ken thinks it's better to spend this money on a PR stunt. That's true to his spirit, but not the Olympic one.
- Mark Curtis, London
