Makes sense. A tiny £162m surplus is hardly enough to finance the critical upgrades and extensions that TfL requires. Unfortunately, we have a Tory government more interested in pandering to motorists and demonising asylum seekers than investing in vital public transport infrastructure.
The sooner Starmer is in Number 10 the sooner we can have a Bakerloo Line extension to Lewisham.
Honestly, Bakerloo line extension is absolutely needed. SE London public transport is far below London standards, improving infrastructure there will unlock thousands of new homes.
I would like to be critic towards the goverment but according to the article, they have provided £6.6 bn since 2020, which that seems like quite a lot?
If funding is an issue, Sadiq should look at implementing a hotel tax for non uk residents to fund projects like bakerloo extension etc. Pretty much nearly every major city has this tax (Paris, Rome, Amsterdam etc), and Is a great way to fund projects.
I don’t mind paying hotel tax when I’m abroad, I’m benefiting from the city infrastructure and services, it’s only fair visitors contribute towards it.
The list of things we could/should have of TfL was peel funded or the Mayor was able to raise local taxes in the same way cities around the world do is pretty sad to consider.
If it had been in place since the GLA and TfL established in 2000, we have the Bakerloo line extension, cross river tram, Greenwich waterfront transit, Rotherhithe crossing, bringing all the southern (etc) franchises into the overground and increasing frequency, the Surrey Canal overground station, Crossrail 2 would be well underway, several lines worth of new tube trains and improved signalling, maybe reopening East Brixton if we were lucky, so much more cycling infrastructure.
Paris, NYC, Amsterdam, Milan (before we even get to Asian cities) are all doing it.
(And obviously non Londoners would complain about London getting all this while they have nothing – yes, all cities in the UK should be able to and would have vastly better transport with proper fiscal devolution)
7 comments
Thank God Khan sorted the TFL finances.
Makes sense. A tiny £162m surplus is hardly enough to finance the critical upgrades and extensions that TfL requires. Unfortunately, we have a Tory government more interested in pandering to motorists and demonising asylum seekers than investing in vital public transport infrastructure.
The sooner Starmer is in Number 10 the sooner we can have a Bakerloo Line extension to Lewisham.
Honestly, Bakerloo line extension is absolutely needed. SE London public transport is far below London standards, improving infrastructure there will unlock thousands of new homes.
I would like to be critic towards the goverment but according to the article, they have provided £6.6 bn since 2020, which that seems like quite a lot?
If funding is an issue, Sadiq should look at implementing a hotel tax for non uk residents to fund projects like bakerloo extension etc. Pretty much nearly every major city has this tax (Paris, Rome, Amsterdam etc), and Is a great way to fund projects.
I don’t mind paying hotel tax when I’m abroad, I’m benefiting from the city infrastructure and services, it’s only fair visitors contribute towards it.
The list of things we could/should have of TfL was peel funded or the Mayor was able to raise local taxes in the same way cities around the world do is pretty sad to consider.
If it had been in place since the GLA and TfL established in 2000, we have the Bakerloo line extension, cross river tram, Greenwich waterfront transit, Rotherhithe crossing, bringing all the southern (etc) franchises into the overground and increasing frequency, the Surrey Canal overground station, Crossrail 2 would be well underway, several lines worth of new tube trains and improved signalling, maybe reopening East Brixton if we were lucky, so much more cycling infrastructure.
Paris, NYC, Amsterdam, Milan (before we even get to Asian cities) are all doing it.
(And obviously non Londoners would complain about London getting all this while they have nothing – yes, all cities in the UK should be able to and would have vastly better transport with proper fiscal devolution)
Stop posting about Khan.