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The harsh truth is that Boris Johnson has very little room to manoeuvre over his transport budget.
He is likely to be forced to raise fares even if that allows his political opponents to make capital out of the increases.
Virtually everything that has happened since he became Mayor has reduced the amount of money coming into Transport for London's coffers.
Most importantly, there is a four per cent reduction in the number of Tube passengers, caused by the downturn.
Then there is the collapse of Metronet, the infrastructure company, which, at least in the short-term, has blown a hole in his budget.
The Tube's Public Private Partnership is in a mess, with the other infrastructure company, Tube Lines, also demanding more cash when the system is reassessed next year.
And work has started on Crossrail, the £16billion scheme which will absorb yet more cash. Nor has Boris helped his own cause.
He has embarked on an expensive and unnecessary programme of replacing bendy buses with conventional vehicles.
He is scrapping the Western extension of the congestion charge, which will not only be expensive to dismantle, but reduce the amount of money coming in from the scheme, one of the few ways he can raise cash other than by fares increases or extra taxes.
The latter is politically unpalatable for someone elected on a low-taxation platform.
Boris is finding out just how difficult it is to run transport in a huge city like London. The demands for investment are insatiable and there is a very good case for them. The trouble is someone has to pay - and it usually ends up being the farepayers.
Christian Wolmar's book, Blood, Iron And Gold: How Railways Transformed the World, is published this month by Atlantic Books.
Reader views (4)
> The complete absence of cyclists, who may have found them intimidating, also makes me wonder why on earth they are being removed!
I regulary cycle up and down Holborn with loads of other cyclists, none seem to have a problem with the Bendies.
Like whales they are big and slow and easy to avoid, not like the zippy, seatless, replacements (which also have a large back overhang).
- Prj45, London
Tory Assembly Member Andrew Boff said:
"The bendy buses are ideal for London's broad boulevards"
Like the Uxbridge and Marylebone Roads, you mean?
"and logical grid system road layout"
Like the bit north of Oxford Street where the 453 runs and which is entirely gridded?
Yes, they're ideal *in the right place on the right route*, which is why they form under 400 of a fleet of 8000 vehicles. Why in the name of all that's holy is your party scrapping them at vast unspecified cost to the transport budget that's already in life support, Andrew? I thought the Tories were all for efficiency drives? This nonsense must cease.
- Tom, London, UK
The bendy buses are ideal for London's broad boulevards and logical grid system road layout. The complete absence of cyclists, who may have found them intimidating, also makes me wonder why on earth they are being removed!
- Andrew Boff, London
The fact is the only way to run a transport system was the way Ken did where he introduced Artic buses which allowed far more passengers to be carried at less cost!! A single Artic had double the capacity of the old routemaster bus which meant route 38 went from 50 RMs to 47 artics with a massive increase in a capacity and now Boris needs 72 buses to operate this route.
The fact is Boris has to accept Artics are the best buses on high capacity routes and if he wants to cut costs he needs to introduce more of them!! However dogma rules and millions will be wasted in a needless exercise. fact is without trams another mayor will have to bring artics back.
As for the c-charge the cost of removal and lost revenue must not be paid for by public transport users.
This mess has arised because he was not held to account BEFORE the mayoral election and now london will pay the price.
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
