Councillors play fare with public as cab claims down

Councillors in the City Chambers have managed to slash the amount they spend travelling by taxi at taxpayers' expense - following a series of probes by the Evening News.

The combined taxi bill for the city's 58 councillors was 1540 last year - down by more than a third on the 2360 claimed in 2009/10 and nearly a tenth of the mammoth 14,000 claim racked up five years ago.

Councillors that campaigned for an investigation following the 2005/6 record high bill today said scrutiny of the issue by the Evening News had forced councillors to cut the number of journeys they charge to the public purse.

Education leader Marilyne MacLaren claimed more than any other councillor, with her bill coming in at 317.11 - with most of her journeys involving visits to schools and events.

Deputy council leader Steve Cardownie, who had the second-highest claim at 163.27, was criticised by political opponents for claiming 27 different journeys between his Leith home and the City Chambers - despite living only a few minutes' walk from the No 35 bus route, which goes to the Royal Mile.

Councillor Iain Whyte, who called for a council investigation into claims in 2006 after the Evening News highlighted the issue, said: "I am delighted to hear elected members have taken heed of calls to reduce taxi use and I am really pleased that, in these difficult financial times, they are not passing on travel costs to the taxpayer. It has taken time, but eventually these claims have dropped."

Councillor Andrew Burns, leader of the Labour group on the council, said: "I do think councillors should only claim when there is absolutely no alternative. Public scrutiny via the press of elected politician's expenses is to be welcomed."

Cllr Cardownie defended his own regular claims, saying: "I do not get taxis from home to the City Chambers as a matter of course; the vast majority of times I use the car and I do not charge mileage to the council.

"I don't know why there have been so many, it may be because I do not feel well. Lots of people would take the day off but I just come in no matter how I feel. It could also be because my car is not available or I needed to drop Calum off at school at 8.45am then needed to get a taxi to the City Chambers, because most meetings start at 9am."

He added that he did not claim a bus pass at taxpayer's expense and pledged to keep future claims down.