Examination of witness (Questions 120
- 126)
WEDNESDAY 15 DECEMBER 1999
MR DENIS
TUNNICLIFFE
120. What about increasing the capacity on the
network, what about the Chelsea-Hackney line?
(Mr Tunnicliffe) The position London Transport has
taken in the past has not examined it in great detail but our
overall view of the world has always been that you build CrossRail
first, you build Chelsea-Hackney and that solves most overcrowding
problems for a long time ahead. Since these positions were come
to using perfectly straight forward normal planning techniques
I would not be at all surprised if the Mayor comes to the same
conclusion.
121. We are waiting. What you are saying is
in effect plans are not in place, these are long term plans, you
do not have a set of priorities. These are the things you have
been committed to for some time. You are waiting for the Mayor
to come along with his or her little pot of gold.
(Mr Tunnicliffe) We do have a lot of work done on
CrossRail which will allow the project to start very quickly if
the Mayor believes it is the programme they want to back and that
person wants to set about the Transport and Works Order and all
the processes that will be necessary.
122. I see.
(Mr Tunnicliffe) They will have a flying start.
123. Have you done any work at all on the question
of bonds, alternative funding, the advantages, the costs, have
you done any work on that?
(Mr Tunnicliffe) No significant work. The only work,
in a sense, is a statement I made at the beginning, the input
to the debate we have seen elsewhere in terms of the efficiency
and so on is not unlike the work we have done ourselves.
124. "Is not unlike the work you have done
yourselves", you have not done a lot.
(Mr Tunnicliffe) We have done a lot on assuring ourselves
that there is a reasonably good chance of a significant improvement
in efficiency in the private sector.
125. In this creative tension.
(Mr Tunnicliffe) Yes.
126. I think actually, Mr Tunnicliffe, we all
look forward to this interesting era when the creative tension
produces these tremendous advantages. When you want a little creative
tension perhaps you would like to appear before us again. Thank
you very much.
(Mr Tunnicliffe) I look forward to that, Chairman.
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