COMPANIES who were awarded lucrative contracts by the Government to operate the London Underground system and to undertake renovation and renewal of the infrastructure were fined a total of £26.5 million last week for failure to carry out the work.
Tube Lines, which runs the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines was fined £23.32 million. And Metronet BCV, which runs the Bakerloo, Central, Victoria and Waterloo & City lines was fined £11.31 million.
But the total is offset by £9 million in bonuses given to Metronet SSL, which runs the Metropolitan, District, Circle, Hammersmith & City and East London lines.
The fines were revealed by London Mayor Ken Livingstone in answer to a question tabled in the Greater London Assembly.
Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Geoff Pope said: “the amount clawed back in fines for all the misery tube commuters have suffered is just a drop in the ocean.
“The tube maintenance firms are failing miserably to deliver on the pledged improvements for the Underground and yet the penalties charged are small change compared to the cash given to them to upgrade the Underground.
“All the evidence shows the deal struck by this Labour government was ill-conceived and poorly implemented.
