Boris Johnson’s transport adviser cannot serve two masters, say residents

One of Boris Johnson's closest advisers is caught in a storm over "a clear conflict of interest" thrown up by his two high-profile roles.

Daniel Moylan, deputy chairman of Transport for London, is also deputy leader of Kensington and Chelsea council. Ten residents' associations in the borough have written to the Mayor and to the council leader, Merrick Cockell, claiming Mr Moylan's roles have clashed, and that he must be made to choose between them.

The groups suggest that a plan to divert eight bus routes through Cromwell Place in South Kensington without consultation was "a TfL initiative apparently rubber-stamped" by the council.

The letter goes on to quote the council's planning chairman, Terence Buxton, as saying that his committee was "misled" by TfL about prominent Barclays advertising on Boris bikes and their stands.

It says future potential conflicts of interest include the redevelopment of South Kensington station, the Exhibition Road street-sharing project, and the Western extension of the congestion charge zone.

However, Derek Myers, the council's chief executive, denied there was any conflict as Mr Moylan stepped down from his Cabinet responsibility for transport when he was appointed to the TfL board.

Mr Myers said: "His current Cabinet portfolio is planning policy...  any matter of planning policy in which TfL has an interest is dealt with by another councillor." In matters where TfL has an interest, Mr Moylan "declares his interest and leaves the room", said Mr Myers.