European Parliament backs London Tube

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 11th Oct 2001

Baroness Sarah Ludford, London's Liberal Democrat Euro-MP, has welcomed the support of the European Parliament's transport committee for exemption of the London Tube from proposed European competitive tendering requirements.

"I'm glad the committee has recognised that there are some special cases like London's tube network which cannot be put out to tender. It is unsafe to split up the integrated network, and if the whole lot is put out to bids it could end up as just a privatised monopoly forever.

"Liberal Democrats are continuing to campaign strongly against the government's proposed 'PPP' for the Tube. We want Bob Kiley to run it as a publicly-owned 'trust', borrowing for investment and under the democratic control of Londoners.

"I'm glad that the European Parliament has recognised that for a big integrated metro system, like London's, it is neither safe nor efficient to split lines or track for competitive bids, however desirable competition usually is in the economy. And keeping it all together - the only sensible option - must mean in the public sector."