Drop the chauffeur, go by Tube, ministers told

MINISTERS have been ordered to ditch their chauffeur-driven cars and use public transport to travel to the Olympics.

The Prime Minister, who insists he will catch the Tube to London 2012 events, has also told every minister they must not take their family to events, even if they paid for the tickets themselves.

According to a source, they must invite dignitaries and other important guests instead, to ensure the public don’t think they are abusing their positions.

Earlier this week Mr Cameron confirmed he would go to Olympic events on public transport and expected everyone to follow suit.

‘I will be using public transport and that is how I recommend [everyone] should travel,’ he said. ‘I now use the Tube, I drive my protection team mad in London by saying, “Why on earth are we in the car, the Tube is quicker”.’

When asked if he would use the controversial Olympic ‘Zil’ lanes on London’s roads – named after the limousines used by political leaders in Moscow at the height of communism – he said: ‘We are banished from using that terminology.

‘I went in a Games lane, but it was not acting as a Games lane when I came back from Chequers on Sunday. We were happily driving on it because everyone else was driving on it.’

Downing Street confirmed that almost without exception politicians will not go by car. ‘All ministers will be expected to travel to the Games like everybody else,’ a No 10 spokesman said. ‘There will be some limited circumstances when this might be waived but as a general rule that is what they have been told.’

Earl Attlee, a Government spokesman in the Lords, confirmed that some ministers would be able to use the ‘Zil’ lanes ‘on the advice of the security services’ but added: ‘That will apply to very few ministers.’

They include Mr Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Chancellor George Osborne, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Home Secretary Theresa May, Foreign Secretary William Hague, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond and Olympics minister Hugh Robertson.

The Government has defended the special arrangements on security and operational grounds. Senior Cabinet ministers are given extra police protection and will be meeting foreign dignitaries as the Government seeks to use the Games to generate a boost for British trade.

A spokesman said: ‘ Ministers will be using public transport to get to the Games wherever possible, unless particular operational or security reasons mean that cars are required.

‘In that case, a small number of senior ministers would be permitted to travel in Olympic lanes when they are representing on official Olympic or Paralympic business.’

Lord Moynihan, chairman of the British Olympic Association, has said he will take the Tube to the Games and allow his car allocation to be used by athletes.