Bob Kiley

Robert R. Kiley, better known as Bob Kiley, (born 16 September 1935) is a public transit planner and supervisor, with a reputation of being able to save transit systems experiencing serious problems. As of 2004 he is the current Commissioner of Transport for London, the public organisation empowered with running and maintaining London's public transport network.

London

In January 2001 Bob Kiley moved across the Atlantic to become Chairman of London Regional Transport (the public body appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport to run London's Underground network of trains and also Commissioner of Transport for London, the public body which reports to the London mayor and which has increasingly been granted authority formerly held by London Regional Transport.

Related Topics:
2001 - London Regional Transport - Secretary of State for Transport - Underground - London mayor

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Kiley, who was given a $4m four-year contract was regarded as a strange bedfellow for "Red" Ken Livingstone - the former firebrand socialist elected London's first mayor in 2000. Indeed they themselves described their working relationship as "a CIA activist working for an unreconstructed Trotskyite". However Livingstone's and Kiley's views on London transport have proved very similar. Both were vehemently opposed to the government's plans for public-private partnerships (PPP) in running of the tube. Kiley was sacked as chairman of London Regional Transport in July 2001 and repeated clashes with his boss, Transport Secretary Stephen Byers. Remaining as Commissioner of Transport for London, he and Livingstone took the government to court in trying to prevent PPP. They failed and in January 2003 three separate private companies took control of maintaining various tube lines. In July 2003 powers for running the rest of the Tube network, including manning and maintaining the stations, was transferred to Transport for London and London Regional Transport became defunct. Kiley welcomed the opportunity to take greater control over the running over the tube but warned that he felt he would be hampered by PPP:

Related Topics:
Ken Livingstone - 2000 - Public-private partnership - 2001 - Stephen Byers - 2003

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:I maintain that the Government’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) is not the right way to manage the maintenance and renewal of the Tube. As they stand, the PPP contracts do not satisfactorily address the improvements to the Underground that TfL and the public demand. Nevertheless, we will do everything within our power to hold the infrastructure companies to account on those Tube improvements they have promised to deliver.

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In December 2004, he and Livingstone announced a 4 year extension to Kiley's contract with TfL running until 2008 at an increased salary (£2.4 million over the term of the contract).

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Kiley's wife and two children were killed in a car accident. He subsequently remarried, and is currently married to his second wife, Rona.

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