§ Martin LintonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the impact on the Battersea constituency of his Department's transport policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [123671]
§ Mr. McNultyThe Government created the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) to give a strategic overview of transport in London. The Mayor and TfL are responsible for improvements to services within their control.
Government funding for transport in London has risen substantially under the 10 Year Plan for transport. For 2003–04 to 2005–06, funding for TfL is some £3.455 billion—averaging £1.15 billion per year, a 50 per cent. increase on the 2001–02 allocation and double the equivalent figure for 2000–01.
Bus patronage across London has grown by 13 per cent. over the past two years, with demand at its highest level since the 1970's. Between January and March this year, London buses travelled over 103 million kilometres—an 11 per cent. increase on the equivalent period last year.
Like all Londoners, the constituents of Battersea will benefit from the massive investment under the Tube PPP—£16 billion over 15 years.
On the railways, the new five-year South Central franchise, operated by Govia, commenced on 25 April 2003. It will deliver over £1 billion of improvements to the busy commuter routes between London and Surrey, Sussex and the south coast, including investment in new rolling stock and improvements in performance.