Dodgy statistics on bus crime once again from Boris Johnson

I have seen that Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, has challenged the Mayor of London’s claim about bus crime statistics, accusing him once again of using misleading figures.

In newspapers being distributed by the Mayor's re-election campaign across London, Boris Johnson has put his name to claims that bus crime has significantly fallen over the last three years and that “across London crime on buses has fallen by 30%” and buses are some of the “safest in Europe”.

An examination of the most recent crime statistics published by Transport for London actually reveals that:

·       In more than one third of London Boroughs (11 out of 32) crime on buses actually rose in the last year  (April 2010 to March 2011)

·       Some boroughs have seen significant increases in bus crime, including Barking and Dagenham (17.8%), Tower Hamlets (11.5%) Merton (9%), Hammersmith and Fulham (8%), Southwark (5.2%) and Greenwich (4.2%).

Commenting on the figures Caroline Pidgeon said:

“Just three months ago the chairman of the UK Statistics Authority warned Boris Johnson that the way the Mayor of London was using the bus crime data could ‘be damaging to public trust in the statistics’.

“Sadly the Mayor has totally ignored this warning and is up to his old tricks of using misleading figures.   It is simply wrong to suggest that bus crime is falling across the whole of London, when in fact in more than one third of boroughs it is increasing - and in some boroughs significantly.”

“Even where there has been some fall in the figures there should be no grounds for complacency about the level of crime on London’s buses.  Bus crime is a problem everywhere , and in far too many places it is a growing problem.

“The Mayor must stop spinning dubious claims and get on with the job of making Londoners safer on public transport throughout London".

I think given Boris' lack of management skills in what must be one the most important jobs in the UK he should give it up and let someone with more ability take charge.