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Mayor Khan launching the new Hopper bus fare on 12 September.
Mayor Khan launching the new Hopper bus fare on 12 September. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA
Mayor Khan launching the new Hopper bus fare on 12 September. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA

Sadiq Khan's new TfL board's first meeting: hopping, inclusive and refreshed

This article is more than 7 years old

The Labour mayor’s choice of board members for his transport agency and his attitude towards its senior officers demonstrate the new approaches he requires

The first meeting of Sadiq Khan’s new Transport for London (TfL) board took place on Thursday, characterised by much newbie enthusiasm, an upbeat vibe and a few jokes from the Mayor in the Chair, determined to set a new tone to match the new approach he requires. The board’s job is approve TfL’s business planning and accounts and “other major and strategic issues and policies” and to see that the organisation’s top brass are doing their jobs. This means, among other things, asking intelligent questions at board meetings, which are held in public. The following are a few of the more diverting matters that were discussed.

Devolution of suburban rail (Southern, and all that)

Later this year, the Department for Transport (DfT) is expected to start the process for re-letting the franchises for rail services in south-east London and Kent - appointing the companies to operate commuter trains in those areas in future. The mayor and London politicians across the spectrum believe responsibility for the performance of those services within the capital should be devolved to TfL because, frankly, it’s the best organisation for doing the job.

TfL favours a “concession” arrangement - different from a franchise - similar to those in place for the London Overground (which already covers suburban services out of Liverpool Street) and the Docklands Light Railway. Basically, TfL sets the level of service it requires and pays the operating company to provide it. If the company over-performs it gets a bonus, if it under-performs, it gets fined. TfL receives the fares income.

The argument goes that TfL’s track record, ever since getting its hands on the what used to be called the North London or Silverlink line in 2007, shows that it rapidly improves services and attracts more passengers as a result of being in charge, resulting in more money for re-investment. “It’s the best way to operate metro-style services across an integrated transport system,” explained Gareth Powell, director of strategy for London Underground and rail, to the the board.

While the mayor has been calling for the DfT to let TfL start rescuing the troubled Southern franchise right away there has been a lot of talking behind the scenes. Some of it, proper and formal, has been between TfL and the DfT about possible ways forward. Some of it, all unofficial, has been to the effect that new transport secretary Chris Grayling is nothing like as keen to oblige TfL and the mayor as his predecessor seemed to be. Meanwhile, the London Assembly’s cross-party budget and performance committee has said in a recent report that the TfL board “must rigorously scrutinise any proposal for TfL to take over suburban rail services” to ensure that any further devolution is a success. A lot of the new board’s work is going to be mathematical.

A low crime Night Tube so far

The launch of weekend Night Tube services on the Victoria and Central lines last month were accompanied by some concerns that they’d be marred by crime and antisocial behaviour. Extra transport police were deployed accordingly. However, the news so far is good. “The level of crime on the Night Tube has been very, very low,” said TfL commissioner Mike Brown. “Last weekend we had two reported, which is actually lower than what we’ve seen on normal days.”

Many hops with the Hopper ticket

You can now make two pay-as-you-go or contactless bus (or tram) journeys for the price of one within a one hour period, thanks to the mayor’s new Hopper ticket. The board heard that between its launch on 12 September up until the end of Wednesday, the extra “free” ride had been taken 2.64m times and it was confirmed that a second stage of the Hopper policy will enable an unlimited number of bus or tram journeys within an hour for the price of one. TfL hope to introduce this in 2018, and also enable the bus rides to be punctuated by journeys on other public transport modes, which can’t be done at present.

Being better friends with the taxi trade

The recent publication of a private hire and taxi action plan to help “protect the capital’s iconic back cab trade” and improve standards across the private hire industry was welcomed by Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association. This caught the eye - relations between the black cab trade and TfL have been difficult in recent times. But Mike Brown told the board: “I cannot stress enough the importance I place, and the mayor places, on us working together with the trade representatives in our implementation of these commitments. A fundamental part of the action plan is to ensure that our engagement with the taxi trade is far more inclusive and far more pro-active than it perhaps has been in the recent past.”

A “refreshed” approach to finance presentation

During the election campaign the future Mayor Khan said he believed TfL indulged in “creative finances” to protect their budgets against suggestions that they could be more efficient and, in truth, probably afford things like the freeze of its public transport fares he’s going to introduce. Others had long contended that TfL’s budgets were undesirably opaque.

On Thursday, Khan introduced the report to the board from relatively new chief finance officer Ian Nunn by saying he’d asked for the way this was done to be “refreshed” in order to address complaints, fair or otherwise, that in the past these bulletins had been “difficult for human beings to follow”. Nicely done. It was nice too that members of the board, which includes some formidable financial brains, made various suggestions for further enhancements.

You can read Ian Nunn’s finance report and separate quarterly performance report via here and you can watch a webcast of the board meeting in its entirety via here. It was held on 22 September, 2016.

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