Mayor spending £12m on TfL bonuses despite bailouts

Sadiq Khan has been accused today of making Transport for London’s cash crisis worse after new figures revealed TfL has paid out and is likely to award £12 million worth of staff bonuses this year.

The new data showed that TfL paid out £6 million in 2020/21 for bonuses awarded to staff the previous year with salaries up to £69,500. To make matters worse, the bonus scheme is continuing this year despite TfL’s financial woes and could see a further £6 million spent on bonuses. Sadiq Khan has chosen to pay out this eye-watering bill despite the taxpayer forking out £3.3 billion in bailouts for TfL. City Hall Tories believe the Mayor should have deferred the payment of all bonuses awarded in 2019/20 and suspended the entire bonus scheme this year as TfL chose to do for the highest paid staff. London Assembly Member Susan Hall branded it “disgraceful that the Mayor is paying out and awarding millions of pounds of TfL bonuses while repeatedly asking the taxpayer for bailouts”. Ms Hall added that TfL staff would be shocked to hear that the Mayor is forking out for bonuses while they brace for job losses.

Susan Hall AM, Leader of the GLA Conservatives, commented: “It’s disgraceful that Sadiq Khan is paying out and awarding millions of pounds of TfL bonuses while repeatedly asking the taxpayer for bailouts. This is a perfect example of the Mayor’s financial incompetence which helped break the bank at TfL.

“London is grateful for our city’s transport workers who have kept our city moving throughout this crisis. However, when Londoners are losing their livelihoods and TfL staff are worried about job losses it’s simply unjustifiable for Sadiq Khan to pay out any bonuses this year. “It’s clear that if we are going to get Transport for London back on track we need new leadership at City Hall. London needs a Mayor who will put Londoners’ priorities before bonuses, press officers and self-promotion.”