LONDON (UK) – In an attempt to enable London’s transport system going for the next 18 months, Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for a 5.7 billion pounds bailout package for the transport operator, said the Financial Times in a report.
The mayor, who is the chairman of Transport for London (TfL), requested a financial package in a submission to the spending review of the government. This comes as the number of passengers is dipping because of the pandemic-induced curbs on public transport, said the report.
TfL relies on income from fares to operate buses, trains and tube service. It had received 1.6 billion pounds from the government in May for covering a shortfall in revenue until October.
TfL said in July it would need additional funds of 2 billion pounds for the second half. It is up to 300 million pounds more than it outlined in an earlier emergency budget.
In his submission, the mayor said income from ticket sales had dipped “around 90 per cent because of the lockdown and will be nowhere near returning to normal levels as long as social distancing measures are in place”.
The report also said Khan has also sought an emergency package for retail, hospitality, leisure and cultural sectors which have been pummeled by the pandemic.