Sadiq Khan has been blasted for providing ‘ridiculous perks’ to Transport for London employees after it has emerged that greater than 54,000 family and friends of TfL employees get free journey throughout the capital.

The Mayor of London has been accused of turning the ailing transport service right into a ‘gravy practice’ by the Tories, at a time when TfL continues to face ‘massive monetary challenges’.

Final month, 54,156 individuals held ‘nominee passes’ in line with figures from the Mayor’s workplace.

The passes provide free journey on all TfL, Tube, bus and Overground companies – and anybody who lives in the identical home as somebody who works for any of those can apply for one.

An annual Travelcard for Zones 1 to six prices £2,976, which might imply the worth of the nominee passes is equal to over £160 million a yr.

Sadiq Khan has been accused by the Tories of turning the ailing transport service into a 'gravy train', at a time when TfL continues to face 'big financial challenges'

Sadiq Khan has been accused by the Tories of turning the ailing transport service right into a ‘gravy practice’, at a time when TfL continues to face ‘massive monetary challenges’

The figures were obtained by Susan Hall (pictured), the leader of the City Hall Conservatives

The figures had been obtained by Susan Corridor (pictured), the chief of the Metropolis Corridor Conservatives

Susan Corridor, Metropolis Corridor Conservatives chief, who obtained the figures, mentioned: ‘TfL has became a gravy practice, forking out on perks for associates of TfL employees whereas taking money from the poorest Londoners hit by the Mayor’s Ulez tax. 

‘Over 50,000 individuals in London get free journey day-after-day simply because they know somebody at TfL, with misplaced income within the a whole lot of tens of millions. Sadiq Khan ought to cease making excuses and scrap this ridiculous perk.’ 

The variety of passes used has elevated by nearly 500 within the final yr, the Night Normal stories.

TfL has defended the employees profit, arguing that it’s a comparatively low price option to appeal to and keep staff and that workers can solely declare them for one individual.

The general variety of passes used contains greater than 19,000 individuals nominated by TfL members of employees.

On high of this, greater than 21,000 nominated by bus drivers, greater than 10,000 associates or family of retired TfL and employees and three,300 individuals who know ‘third celebration’ staff at TfL.

A Transport for London spokesperson mentioned: ‘Employees nominee passes are a long-standing profit for Transport for London workers’ and are a low-cost approach of attracting and retaining employees. 

‘They’ve a really low-cost impression as a result of the variety of journeys is an especially small proportion of the full variety of journeys made day-after-day, that means little or no misplaced earnings and no further companies needing to be operated.’ 

Nominee passes offer free travel on all TfL, Tube, bus and Overground services - and anyone who lives in the same house as someone who works for any of these is eligible

Nominee passes provide free journey on all TfL, Tube, bus and Overground companies – and anybody who lives in the identical home as somebody who works for any of those is eligible

An annual Travelcard for Zones 1 to 6 costs £2,976, which would mean the value of the nominee passes is equivalent to over £160 million a year

An annual Travelcard for Zones 1 to six prices £2,976, which might imply the worth of the nominee passes is equal to over £160 million a yr

Final yr, all 5,000 TfL cleaners loved free journey and this was not too long ago prolonged by Mr Khan, who’s the Chair of TfL, to the 800 sub-contractor cleaners. 

It comes as Metropolis Corridor sources mentioned earlier this week that Evening Tube companies are unlikely to be expanded as Mr Khan had proposed in 2018, owing to ongoing cash struggles.

Requested in a latest interview whether or not she needed to see the Evening Tube expanded, Mr Khan’s Evening Czar, Amy Lamé, mentioned: ‘It is not a secret that TfL has had some monetary challenges, as a result of pandemic and as a result of approach central Authorities has been treating TfL. 

‘I would say for the long run, nothing is off the desk, however I feel there are massive monetary challenges.’ 

In August final yr, the federal government agreed a £3.6bn bailout to maintain Tubes, trains and busses working in London, together with or till nearly £1.2bn of upfront funding for TfL. 

It was the sixth bailout of its variety for TfL, after revenues plummeted through the pandemic amid low passenger numbers.