Jim McMahon MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, commenting after the Government daily press conference, said:

“Rather than patting themselves on the back about road and rail upgrades, Ministers need to focus on the chaos on public transport especially on the tube, a mess of their own making.

“It’s extremely worrying that despite repeated requests, the Government is doing a papering over the cracks style rescue package at the 11th hour to protect Transport for London in the short term. It was right that action was taken in relation to the privately operated bus and rail network. The Government must do the same for publicly-owned transport providers, which need long term secure funding for what could be a lengthy period for which they won’t be able to operate at full capacity.

“We need a comprehensive transport plan to get our public transport moving again once we come out of lockdown including giving local transport services the funding they need. Simply saying things will be different on our trains and buses is not a plan for the future.”