TfL commissioner Andy Byford supports formalisation of river crossing committee
Transport for London’s (TfL) commissioner Andy Byford said yesterday he would be in favour of formalising the existence of a committee to oversee maintenance of London’s river crossings.
Speaking at the London Assembly’s transport committee, Byford agreed that TfL alongside the central government and London boroughs should formalise the mandate of the Thames River Crossing Coordination Group.
“We’re not averse to that and we can always revisit that recommendation, but it’s not totally within TfL’s gift; it does require central government and others because it’s not just our group,” he told the transport committee’s chair Caroline Pidgeon.
“I get the rationale. I just want to make sure that we don’t set up a body that is just another committee that we have to attend – it’s got to have a purpose.”
Byford added that finances would be at the top of the coordination group’s agenda, even though TfL’s economic situation does not leave too much room for investing.
“I don’t think it will be easy to administer because just as TfL right now is in a very difficult position financially so are the boroughs,” he said.
“So I don’t think too many boroughs are going to be committing to massive expenditure on bridges just yet. But certainly in our deliberations around your first point, namely the Coordinating Group, finances would be an obvious first point of consideration for the group.”