Councils cracking down on car drivers and installing unpopular Low Traffic Neighborhoods (LTNs) are spending tens of thousands of pounds on taxis for their own staff.
Shocking data reveals how ten local authorities praised for their environmental action are forking out huge sums of taxpayers’ cash to pay for chauffeurs and minicabs.
Ealing council in west London – which declared a climate emergency in 2019 and committed itself to ‘urgent action’ to combat climate change – has spent at least £30,000 on cars in the past three years, according to figures obtained by The Times.
But the real amount is likely to be much higher because the west London authority refused to reveal taxis that may have been put through as ‘other business expenses’.
The council’s ‘Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy’ promises that the borough will be carbon neutral by 2030.
It also said the ‘vast majority’ of motoring journeys can be done by bicycle, on foot or by public transport as short vehicle journeys ‘could have a huge impact on emission levels’.
But, a Freedom of Information request showed that its own spending on taxis has barely changed in three years.
Councils cracking down on car drivers and installing unpopular Low Traffic Neighborhoods (LTNs) are spending tens of thousands of pounds on taxis for their own staff
Data reveals how ten local authorities that have been praised for their environmental action are forking out taxpayers’ cash to pay for chauffeurs and minicabs. Lambeth council became notorious for introducing an LTN that resulted in such congestion that buses were taking two hours to travel three miles. Pictured: Congestion caused by the LTN
Meanwhile, Hackney Council in east London, which has introduced low-traffic LTNs across 70 per cent of its roads, has spent nearly £20,000 on taxis since 2020.
Under its ‘change one thing’ initiative, it urges residents to ‘leave the car at home and walk, cycle or take public transport instead’.
However, just like Ealing Council, its spending on taxis has barely changed in three years.
In south London, Lambeth council – which became notorious for introducing an LTN that resulted in such congestion that buses were taking two hours to travel three miles – spent more than £10,000 on a chauffeur-driven limousine for its mayor last year.
The Times sought information from the ten best-rated councils according to the Healthy Streets Scorecard.
The campaign is run by a coalition of organisations and charities, including CPRE, to highlight local authorities that have done the most to encourage greener modes of transport.
Most refused to reveal in full — or at all — how much they spent on taxis, often saying that their systems could not find the information.
Islington Council in north London said it could not differentiate how much had been spent on staff and how much on residents with special needs.
A sign is vandalised on a low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) barrier on August 1 in London
A camera that was turned upside down last month on Valley Road, part of a group of streets that make up Lambeth Council’s Streatham Wells Low Traffic Neighbourhood trial
This picture from November 1 shows volunteers protesting against Lambeth Council’s Streatham Wells LTN – and warning motorists against driving down the road
Across the ten councils surveyed, the partial information returned showed a total of £156,000 on taxis and chauffeurs since 2020.
Joanna Marchong, Investigations Campaign Manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance think-tank, commented: ‘This ‘do as I say, not as I do’ attitude undermines public trust.’
A spokesperson for Ealing Council said: ‘Staff policy only permits car transport where there is no suitable alternative, such as for moving equipment or where there are accessibility or safety requirements.’
Meanwhile, Hackney said its spending on taxis amounted to only £16 a day last year.
It added: ‘We are proud of our position as a leader in active and sustainable travel, and over 90 per cent of our staff walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work.’
Islington said all the cars available to staff through its leasing scheme were either electric, hybrids or in the lowest carbon emission band for a petrol car.
