Transport chiefs urged to explain expenses

SCOTLAND'S largest public transport co-ordinating body has been urged to publish travel expense details after two senior executives were paid nearly £30,000 for using their own cars.

The SNP yesterday called for full disclosure from Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and agreement to an investigation of its remuneration system.

SPT has confirmed that its vice-chairman, David McLachlan, claimed 17,544 for travelling 35,650 miles – nearly one and a half times round the globe – over three years.

Alistair Watson, who resigned as chairman on Monday following other revelations about his expenses, claimed 10,756 mileage for covering 21,818 miles in the same 2006-9 period.

By contrast, David Fagan, SPT's other vice-chairman, claimed just 1,355 for travelling 2,749 miles.

SPT is a public-private transport co-ordinating body for the west of Scotland.

Glasgow SNP MSP Sandra White said: "SPT should put all this information in the public domain and show where their councillors have been going to run up such enormous bills."

The party has already called on Audit Scotland to investigate.

An SPT spokesman said: "The auditors were contacted prior to any official complaints being lodged with Audit Scotland."