How BBC takes us for a ride with taxi expenses
FAT-CAT executives at the BBC were accused of “absolutely unacceptable” waste yesterday after it was revealed their spending on taxis has risen by a fifth in a year – despite the corporation trying to cut costs.
And, according to the latest quarterly expenses report, they were 49 per cent up on the previous quarter.
Eleanor McGrath, campaign manager of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It is absolutely unacceptable. Spending on cabs is an area ripe for savings and BBC bosses should have been cutting the amount spent.
“Licence-fee payers expect their cash to be spent on programme making, not ferrying bigwigs around in cars.”
Licence-fee payers expect their cash to be spent on programme making, not ferrying bigwigs around in cars
Among the most prolific cab claimants was outgoing chief operating officer Caroline Thomson – paid a salary of £307,000 a year – who put taxi fares amounting to £1,178 into the latest batch of claims.
The corporation’s creative director Alan Yentob, who is paid £168,300 a year, spent £822 on cars in his quarterly claim.
But the BBC claimed it had made “significant progress” in reducing expenditure on accommodation, travel and hospitality, with total expenses down eight per cent compared to a year earlier.
A spokesman said: “Total expenses have fallen by 15 per cent compared to the previous quarter. The bulk of our expenses are unavoidable routine costs incurred in running a major international broadcasting organisation.”
