Travel chiefs 'were caught out by snow'

TRANSPORT chiefs received a severe rebuke in a report today over their lack of preparedness for last month's snow storms which left millions of commuters stranded.

The findings by the London Assembly transport committee conclude that despite plenty of forecasts, the capital was ill-prepared for the heavy snowfall on 2 February which halted all its 8,000 buses and suspended Tube lines. It said that efforts to keep the roads clear were unco-ordinated or left too late.

The resulting chaos cost the country more than £3 billion with London bearing the brunt.

Mayor Boris Johnson was also criticised for not getting involved earlier. He and transport minister Paul Clark will be questioned by the all-party Commons transport committee about how the snow could cause so much disruption.

Committee chairman Louise Ellman said: "We are concerned by the level of disruption to transport across the country [and the] particular difficulties experienced in the capital and we have asked the Mayor of London to attend."

The Met Office and other forecasters had warned for days that arctic weather would sweep across the country with the worst in London and the South-East.

Chaos lasted for days and Val Shawcross, head of the London Assembly transport committee, said that while some disruption was "inevitable, the evidence suggests a lack of preparation and co-ordination". She added: "The heavy snow was unusual but not unforeseen. Despite the weather forecasts, the response by some key agencies in London was a little slow."

Transport for London admits it "could have done better" and it and councils say that in the future "priority" will be given to clearing roads serving bus depots.

However, TfL's commissioner Peter Hendy said that if buses had run on 2 February they would have posed a "significant danger" of sliding into kerbs.

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: "There is scope for better co-ordination between TfL, the emergency services and the London boroughs."

The committee also wants to know what TfL proposes to do to keep the entrances to bus garages and ambulance stations clear and whether important commuter routes have been identified to be safeguarded against severe weather.