Conservative Group Leader Cllr Peter Golds has unearthed a shocking waste of taxpayers money by Mayor Lutfur Rahman and his independent group. They have racked up literally thousands of pounds of our money on totally unnecessary taxi fares. Some of these journeys cost over £100 when it would have been quicker if they had taken public transport, others they took a taxi when it would have been quicker to walk! They obviously have no regard for the fact that it is NOT their money they are spending but OURS!
In a six month period between November 2010 and June 2012, 246 cab journeys were made by which were charged to council taxpayers in Tower Hamlets, costing a total £7,675.38.
All of these journeys were made by Lutfur Rahman or one of his cabinet.
This is the breakdown of the journeys:
- Cllr Abdul Asad – 5 totalling £97.75
- Mayor Lutfur Rahman – 85 totalling £2,789.01
- Cllr Ohid Ahmed – 39 totalling £1,481.48
- Cllr Oliur Rahman – 67 totalling £1,841.10
- Cllr Rabina Khan – 32 totalling £958.73
- Cllr Rabina Khan and Cllr Alibor Choudhury – 2 (to and from Westminster) totalling £73.35.
- Cllr Rania Khan – 16 totalling £408.74
The worst month was March 2011 when 15 journeys were made costing a total £1,116.67.
You pay for Ollie’s work jolleys !
Ex Respect member, Cllr Oliur Rahman has clocked up £851.65 on 39 trips either starting or finishing at Stratford Job Centre where he works. Most of these journeys are to Tower Hamlets Town Hall to Stratford or vice versa. This journey can be undertaken in under 20 minutes, door to door by public transport, taking the DLR one stop from East India to Canning Town and the Jubilee line, two stops to Stratford.
Some extraordinary examples are:
- Cllr Ohid Ahmed; claiming £122.65 travelling between Westminster and the Canary Wharf area on July 14, 2011. Cllr Ahmed also claimed £140, travelling to and from Tower Hamlets Town Hall and the Unison HQ in Euston on 14 December 2011.
- Mayor Lutfur Rahman claimed £71.27 to travel from the Town Hall to Chrisp Street on April 11, 2011, as well as charging £4 to cross the Whitechapel Road on 22 March, 2011
- Cllr Rabina Khan claimed £120.63 to travel from Stepney to Mile End on 28 March, 2012 and £76 to travel between Stepney and Hackney Town Hall on 17 May 2012, despite the 277 bus going door to door.
This administration are more interested in being seen with drivers than looking after the money paid for by hard working residents in Tower Hamlets.