Minicab boss granted meeting with transport minister after Tory donationChairman of minicab firm granted interview with Philip Hammond over bus lanes after £250,000 donation to the Conservative Party.
Minutes of the meeting between the transport secretary and the head of a private minicab firm over the use of bus lanes were released after a Freedom of Information Act request.
The chairman of a minicab company that wants access to London’s restricted bus lanes was granted a private meeting with the transport secretary at which they discussed the matter after his firm donated £250,000 to the Conservative party.
John Griffin, the chairman of Addison Lee, met Philip Hammond last October and raised the question of access to the lanes. He also pushed the idea that the government should outsource chauffeur services for ministers to private companies.
Addison Lee, which has 3,500 vehicles in the capital, gave the Conservatives £100,000 last year, and £50,000 a year in each of the three previous years.
Minutes of the meeting with Hammond, released under the Freedom of Information Act, sparked opposition calls for the government to explain whether the donation and the meeting were linked.
“There are serious questions for ministers to answer about the level of access given to a major donor to the Tory party who at the same time was bidding for lucrative government contracts,” said Maria Eagle, the shadow transport secretary. “The public have a right to know if ministers gave preferential treatment to John Griffin and other ‘premier league’ donors who sought to use access to ministers to advance their own interests.”
A spokesman for the Department for Transport said neither Hammond nor his successor, Justine Greening, had met the bosses of any other private hire taxi firms but denied that the donation had helped secure the meeting. “It is entirely appropriate for the secretary of state for transport to meet large transport operators from different sectors in order to understand how their industries work,” the spokesman said.
A spokesman for Hammond said: “Mr Hammond does not recall having any information about donations to the Conservative party at the time or when he subsequently met Mr Griffin in October 2011 to discuss issues in the private hire car sector.”
Griffin also denied any suggestion that the meeting with Hammond was secured with the help of his company’s donation. “I honestly think the minister wouldn’t have known I made a donation,” he said. “Why shouldn’t I see him? I am in the transport business and we turn over £250m a year. I see no evidence that people get favours lined up.”
The ban on private taxis using bus lanes is a major issue for Addison Lee. It believes it is prevented from competing on a level playing field with black cabs, which can use the lanes. This week, Griffin ordered his drivers to defy the law and said he would indemnify them against fines.
Transport for London said it was a criminal offence and drivers could have their taxi licences revoked.
Addison Lee used a similar tactic over the M4 bus lane, resulting in more than 200 tickets and 130 court summons against its drivers. These were dropped when the lane was ordered to be closed by Hammond in October 2010.
With a sharp increase in demand expected during the London Olympics, access to bus lanes would be a boost to Addison Lee’s business. Griffin told Hammond “he did not have additional capacity to take additional passengers during the Olympics”.
They also discussed in some detail the possibility of secure ministerial cars being provided by the private sector, with Hammond explaining to Griffin that “the concerns around the provision of cars for ministers related to security clearance of the driver and maintaining the security of the car”. He said no decision had been made on privatising the service, but told Griffin considerations would include making sure there were enough cars on hand to get ministers to the Commons for urgent votes.
source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
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