Subject: THEMED Priority Questions to Bob Kiley – Transport Commissioner, TfL Report number: 6 (b) Report to: London Assembly Date: 6 April 2005 Report of: Director Of Secretariat Part A – Themed Priority Questions 1. TfL’s Corporate Governance Bob Kiley - Transport Commissioner Appointment of TfL Directors Question No: 137 / 2005 Andrew Pelling What role do you play in the appointment of Directors to the Board of TfL? Copyright of Congestion Charge Scheme Sally Hamwee Who owns the congestion charge scheme copyright (idea/design)? What is it worth and which cities are interested in buying it? How much income has Capita and/or TfL received to date from advising on or selling the copyright/design of the congestion charge scheme to other cities? Living Wage John Biggs What has TfL done to ensure its staff, and its contractors staff, are paid a living wage, consistent with the Mayor’s proposals? What obstacles exist to the universal roll-out of this policy and what would overcome these obstacles? TfL Employees Murad Qureshi What are you doing to ensure that TfL employees are all treated with respect by the organisation? 1 2. Transport Infrastructure in London Bob Kiley - Transport Commissioner Mobile Phones on the Underground Question No: 117 / 2005 Bob Neill 1) How much will it cost to implement your planned mobile phone use on a. Tube stations b. Tube trains? 2) Do you expect this scheme to be a cost burden on London Underground or a revenue raiser? How much do you expect it will cost - or will raise in revenue? 3) Do you propose charging mobile phone companies for access to mobile phone reception on the Tube or are you proposing another form of market mechanism or another form of mechanism altogether? If so, could you explain what it is. 4) Could there be health implications linked to reception provided for mobile phone users in confined spaces such as the Tube? Silverlink Metro Services Lynne Featherstone There seems to be some likelihood that the North London Line and other lines currently operated by Silverlink Metro will in future be overseen by the Mayor and Transport for London. Do you expect to be able to influence the terms of the new franchise when it is granted in the autumn of 2006, and what conditions would you want the new franchisee to fulfil – for these particular lines? Spending Review 2006 Valerie Shawcross What is the process for the development of transport infrastructure development proposals to the government under SR 2006? Bob Kiley - Transport Commissioner Serious failures in enforcement of Congestion Charge Question No: 115 / 2005 Elizabeth Howlett Mr. Kiley, recently a constituent of mine had her car removed from her driveway in the middle of the night by bailiffs for non-payment of the Congestion Charge. Only through her own quick thinking, was she able to obtain a court injunction to stop the car being sold within two days. She then had to pay excessive fees, to both bailiff company and auctioneer, to recover her car. That her car was taken came as a surprise as, though TfL’s bailiffs were able to locate her address to take the car, they were unable to send a Penalty Charge Notice, but rather sent in the bailiffs ten months later. As the constituent can produce a receipt showing that she did indeed pay the Congestion Charge on the date of the alleged offence, what assurances can you give that this shambolic episode will never again be repeated, and that my constituent will receive full compensation with your sincere apologies? West London Tram Question No: 83 / 2005 Darren Johnson Will you take up the recommendation of the Green/Labour minority report on the West London Tram, to have a large package of additional traffic reduction measures, such as Safe Route to School schemes, Car Clubs, Cycling facilities etc? Will there be an additional, large pot of money, like there was on Congestion Charging, to help traffic reduction and stop rat running? 2 Commuter rail services - Waterloo Dee Doocey When Eurostar moves out of Waterloo, five long platforms are potentially freed up for South West Trains, which would potentially reduce rail congestion for commuters very considerably. However some engineering work would be vitally necessary to modify the track access to the Eurostar platforms so that commuter trains could use them. Are you in discussion with the Government and Network Rail to ensure that the necessary funding will be made available for 2007? Crossrail Murad Qureshi How confident are you of funding for Crossrail? How are you going to limit the impact of construction on the local business and residential communities in central London? What are the outstanding planning issues? Bob Kiley - Transport Commissioner Jubilee Line Question No: 138 / 2005 Bob Blackman What is currently being proposed in relation to the replacement of signalling equipment on the Jubilee Line? Are you going to take action against the original suppliers? Thames Gateway Bridge John Biggs How will London be affected in your view if the Thames Gateway Bridge is not built? 3. PPP / London Underground Bob Kiley - Transport Commissioner PPP Question No: 103 / 2005 Roger Evans In the FT of 22nd February the Mayor is reported as saying that he has given the PPP consortia until the end of the year to prove they are providing good value for money, otherwise he will go back to the Government and say the PPP is unworkable. Do you agree with the Mayor that this is the right approach? And, If it comes to this, given that the consortia have 30 year contracts, how would the Mayor propose to change their terms? Select Committee report on London Underground Lynne Featherstone What response do you have to the report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Transport on London’s Tube system? PPP John Biggs What is your assessment of the current state of the PPP? Peter Hulme Cross PPP 3 In your view how successful has the PPP been since its inception, has it delivered value for money, and how do you see the way forward? Underground John Biggs What are your observations on the current stage of the New York Subway, in the context of its previous investment programmes and can this teach us anything about the continuing demands of London’s Underground? Tube Consultation Jennette Arnold How will you ensure that the needs of London’s workers are fully taken into account as part of the consultation on starting and finishing the tube later at weekends? 4. Sustainable Transport Car Clubs Lynne Featherstone Car clubs claim to reduce car use by five to one. Do you support car clubs in Greater London? TfL Question No: 84 / 2005 Jenny Jones What progress have you made on the creation of a sustainable transport unit at TfL? Zero Emission Vehicles Question No: 85 / 2005 Darren Johnson When are we going to see the next generation of hydrogen fuel cell and other zero emission vehicles, on the streets of London? 4 Part B - Other Priority Questions Labour Group Priority Questions Enforcement of Foreign Vehicles Murad Qureshi What action is TfL taking to tackle the low success rate in enforcement of foreign vehicles who do not pay the congestion charge? Successes John Biggs What have been your three greatest successes as Commissioner? Budget John Biggs How did the recent budget assist TfL? National Rail Services for London John Biggs What is your vision for National Rail Services in London? How great a priority is this for TfL? Buses John Biggs Is the bus revolution in London now moving from a period of growth to one of consolidation? Positive Differences Joanne McCartney What have you found to be the biggest positive differences between transport in London and the USA? Road Humps John Biggs Do you have a view on the value or otherwise of road humps? Partnership with Boroughs John Biggs Do you feel that TfL works in an effective partnership with the Boroughs? We have heard a lot about the disagreements between some boroughs and TfL. Do you support the idea that boroughs who follow the policies of TfL should be given a greater freedom in their use of TfL funds? Parking Policies of Boroughs John Biggs How do you think the parking policies of the boroughs and TfL could be better integrated and how could the Congestion Charge better work alongside these? Low Cost Housing John Biggs Is TfL making land available in London for low-cost housing? Where and how does this accord with the objectives of TfL? 5 Communications Activity Jennette Arnold What efforts have you made to co-ordinate and streamline communications activity within the TfL Group? Bus Driver Behaviour John Biggs Can you provide a breakdown on complaints concerning bus driver behaviour for Barking and Dagenham, Newham and Tower Hamlets respectively? Step Free Interchanges Len Duvall What is being done to eliminate stair-based access at TfL/mainline interchanges? And in particular what plans are there to address the lack of stairfree access between Lewisham DLR and Platform 1 at Lewisham Station? Kings Cross St Pancras Jennette Arnold Can you update me on negotiations surrounding the fitting of the Thameslink box at Kings Cross St Pancras? North London Line Jennette Arnold Can you outline your plans for improvements to the North London Line? Essex Road Station Jennette Arnold What improvements are planned for Essex Road station? Chingford Line Jennette Arnold What plans do you have to improve the Chingford Line? Hall Farm Curve Jennette Arnold What are your views on the possibility of a Hall Farm Curve rail link? Lea Bridge Station Jennette Arnold What are your views on the possibility of reopening Lea