BBC spends £2k a day... on taxi rides
Broadcaster admits record £740,000 fares bill
BBC Scotland has been criticised after its taxi bill soared to a record level of more than £740,000 last year – equivalent to £2,000 a day.
The Corporation, which is facing huge budget cuts, ran up the bill on cab fares for guests, staff and the transport of ‘tapes/goods of a sensitive nature’.
According to the latest official figures, bosses at BBC Scotland’s HQ in Pacific Quay, Glasgow, spent £740,024 on taxis in the last financial year, up from £605,803 in 2013/14.
Corporation chiefs say this reflects the record number of programmes being made in Scotland, while the bill has also risen as a result of covering major news stories such as the independence referendum and the Commonwealth Games.
Bosses said the majority of the taxi money went on transporting programme guests from their homes, but cabs are also used by staff on early or late shifts.
Eben Wilson, of campaign group TaxpayerScotland, criticised the bill for licence-fee payers and said: ‘We hope the Beeb has a firm grip on all of its non-programme costs. This rising taxi bill suggests a need to clamp down harder.’
Nationalist MP Pete Wishart said: ‘BBC Scotland bosses have clearly got into the habit of jumping into taxis at the public expense. With public satisfaction levels with BBC Scotland remaining the lowest in the UK, perhaps some of this money could be used to make the kind of high quality programmes from Scotland we all expect.’
The BBC introduced a centralised taxi booking system several years ago to cut costs, but annual bills still regularly top £600,000.
Figures obtained under freedom of information laws show that the news and current affairs department was the biggest spender, with a taxi bill for 2014/15 of £202,239. The arts and factual arm spent £145,319, comedy and entertainment £32,408 and radio £77,096.
Transporting show presenters cost £53,175. Taxis associated with covering the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow cost £23,300.
A BBC Scotland spokesman said: ‘There are strict guidelines for staff taxi use and BBC Scotland staff are encouraged to use public transport where possible. However, often a taxi is the best way of getting guests or contributors to shows, carrying heavy broadcast equipment or getting to places not easily reached by public transport.
‘Also, as an employer we have a duty of care to staff working night shifts to make sure they get to and from work safely.
‘The past year was a record one for originated TV production from BBC Scotland, with the number of hours for the first time ever in excess of 2,500. In particular, there was significant investment in producing output, across broadcast platforms, to cover the Commonwealth Games and the independence referendum.
‘The sizeable increase in programme production around both events necessarily carried with it associated on-costs, including those related to travel and transport.’
On Tuesday, media expert Professor Robert Beveridge told MSPs that BBC Scotland bosses should have their pay docked if the broadcaster fails to improve.