SPT expenses regime needs thorough investigation

Commenting on reports in The Herald that the former head of Strathclyde Parternship for Transport Alistair Watson and South Lanarkshire Councillor and SPT member David McLachlan who remains on the board claimed over £28,300 in mileage despite their jobs being to promote and improve public transport Glasgow SNP Councillor Graeme Hendry, who has already called for an investigation by spending watchdog Audit Scotland, said the inquiry must now be widened.

Cllr Hendry said: "I am astounded at the level of these mileage claims, which beggar belief when you consider that SPT's role should be to promote and improve public transport.

"It would seem it has been a 'do as I say and not as I do' attitude to public transport. I would hope that Audit Scotland will look into this as part of their investigation.

"SPT should now but all these claims into the public domain and allow a thorough investigation of their expenses regime.

"You have to question if these men have been at all efficient when travelling to meetings and events. Why haven't they been making more use of public transport since they're supposed to be promoting it?

"It would be fascinating to see where all these journeys took them. This is not promising for SPT. Since these have been authorised it sounds like there has been a very lax attitude towards looking at the expenses system as a whole."

Glasgow MSP Sandra White added her voice to the concerns:

"It seems Labour councillors on SPT have been ripping off the public and taking Glasgow's citizens for a ride.

"SPT's expenses regime must face a thorough independent investigation. The people of Glasgow will be deeply disturbed to see SPT bosses paying more attention to their personal travel arrangements than to delivering a transport system for the city as a whole.

"Many Councillors have SPT travel passes to help them get around cheaply and efficiently.  For those on the SPT board to run up £30,000 of mileage claims is simply astonishing.

"SPT should put all this information in the public domain and show where their councillors have been going to run up such enormous bills."