Councillors' £3k taxi bill despite free bus passes

COUNCILLORS were today urged to stop using taxis while claiming for free bus passes, after new figures revealed they racked up nearly £3,000 in taxi bills last year.

The figures showed city education leader Marilyne MacLaren used taxis more than any other councillor, with her bill totalling 366 in 2009, despite holding a senior citizen's bus pass.

She insisted that buses would not get her around the city to meetings quickly enough – and said she usually shares the taxi with council staff or directors.

Labour backbencher Cammy Day and deputy council leader Steve Cardownie ran up the second and third highest taxi claims, including regular journeys from their homes to the City Chambers.

• Should councillors be allowed to claim for taxi trips on expenses?

However, the majority of councillors managed to cut the amount they spent on taxis in 2009 compared with the previous year.

Across the 58 councillors, total taxi claims fell by 27 per cent to 2694.89.

Despite the decline, Green councillor Alison Johnstone – who has not charged the taxpayer for a taxi journey since becoming a councillor in 2007, said: "We have one of the best bus services in the country and we should support that. We ask everyone else to use public transport to cut down on pollution and we should do so ourselves. The Edinburgh taxpayer would also like to think councillors can do themselves what they ask everyone else to do."

Cllr MacLaren's total taxi bill for 2009 was 50.99 lower than the previous year, but still more than any other councillor.

But – unlike many other councillors – none of the journeys were between her home and the City Chambers, and she said she always travels to work on the bus.

"I don't take a taxi unless it is justified," she said. "It is always to do with work and I am very rarely by myself. I do a lot of visits to schools and events. Usually I only have about two hours and it can take a long time to get there by bus."

Despite being the opposition councillor with the biggest taxi bill, at 320.28, Cllr Day, Edinburgh's newest councillor, said he had been late returning forms declaring that some journeys were for personal use.

As a result, he said some claims – including three that were after midnight – will become personal claims that he will pay back to the council.

However, he still claimed several journeys from his flat in Drylaw into the City Chambers – despite claiming for a bus pass.

"I do have a bus pass and I use it as much as I can," he said. "I only use taxis when I'm running late."

The majority of Cllr Cardownie's claims were between his home and the High Street – but he insists that he only gets a taxi if he is pushed for time.

He claimed a bus pass for part of the year but no longer does and said he usually drives and does not claim mileage.

He said: "I try to keep my taxis down to a minimum; I always have done and will continue to do so. I will reflect on these figures and see if I can cut down further."

Councillors have significantly cut claims, since they ran to a total of more than 14,000 in 2005.

A city council spokeswoman said: "Members' expenses are strictly regulated and monitored by the council and adhere to Scottish Government regulations, which includes taxi fares."