Sadiq Khan has been blasted for wasting £4 million of taxpayers money in giving London’s Overground lines new names in an election year. The London Mayor has been accused of splurging cash on a “vanity project” for “self promotion” after a dismal record where he has plunged Transport for London into financial chaos and allowed knife crime to hit epidemic levels in the capital.
Conservative London Mayor candidate Susan Hall said: “A thousand people have been killed [through knife crime] under his Mayoralty, and yet Sadiq Khan is only interested in this virtue signalling nonsense. The only surprise from today’s announcement is that he hasn’t named one of them the Sadiq line.
“The Central line is in a terrible state, TfL is wasting money left, right and centre, crime on the Tube is soaring, and Sadiq Khan is ignoring all of this to focus on his own PR.”
She added: “I will listen to Londoners, fix the problems with TfL and get a grip of crime.”
Meanwhile, Reform UK candidate Howard Cox has suggested that Khan can only afford the gimmick because he has raised a war chest my hitting motorists in the pocket with his expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charge of £12.50 which is hitting the poorest hardest.
Cox said: “What planet is Sadiq Khan on? His ULEZ perpetually full piggy bank is being used for yet more pointless costly virtue signalling projects.
“None of which will reduce his personally created black hole of a huge deficit. All of these waste of tax payers money and punitive driver charges will be dumped for a prudent common sense approach to manage London’s finances when I become London’s Mayor.”
The row has comne after the “virtue signalling” leftwing inspired names have been unveiled by Khan.
Top of the list is a “Windrush Line” from Highbury & Islington to Clapham Junction/New Cross/Crystal Palace/West Croydon is named to mark the Windrush generation of immigrants who came over to the UK from the Caribbean after 1948.
Then from Euston to Watford Junction will be the Lioness Line to celebrate England’s women’s football team.
The Mildmay line from Stratford to Richmond/Clapham Junction celebrates the small hospital which looked after members of the LGBTQ+ community who first contracted HIV in the 1980s.
The Weaver line from Liverpool Street to Cheshunt/Enfield Town/Chingford represents the historic textile industry in the area.
Then there is the Suffragette line running from Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside is named to celebrate the women who fought to get the vote.
Finally, the Liberty line from Romford to Upminster is meant to represent the “defining quality” of London and historical indpendence of people living in Havering on the far east of the capital.
Mr Khan said: “This is a hugely exciting moment, transforming how we think about London’s transport network. Giving each of the Overground lines distinct colours and identities will make it simpler and easier for passengers to get around.
“In re-imagining London’s tube map, we are also honouring and celebrating different parts of London’s unique local history and culture.
“The new names and colours have been chosen through engagement with passengers, historians and local communities, reflecting the heritage and diversity of our amazing city.”