The cost of a chauffeur driven Jaguar to transport the Mayor of Peterborough has been revealed as £123 a day. The figures were released after a request was made using the Freedom of Information Act.
The amount of £44,908 covers the period of one year between 2007/08 and includes the cost of the chauffeur, the vehicle and petrol. The figure has risen from the previous year when the overall expenditure on car hire for the mayor came to £42,426. The cost is expected to rise year on year as the price of fuel continues to increase pushing up the expense of motoring.
Marion Todd was the mayor of Peterborough between 2007/08. She is still a member of the Peterborough Council and felt the need to speak out in order to defend her use of the chauffeur driven car. Ms. Todd believes a chauffeured vehicle is vital if the position of mayor is to be carried out properly. Amongst her other reasons she highlighted the high number of public engagements the mayor is expected to attend, sometimes as many as 6 a day.
Another contributing factor is the very small wage the mayor is actually paid. Ms. Todd claimed to only receive £160 a month for her role as mayor meaning there would be no spare money to cover the costs of the chauffeur and car. She summed up succinctly saying “Having a vehicle and a driver helps any mayor do the job to the best of their ability.”
A spokesperson for Peterborough Council offered his support to the argument. He emphasized the huge amount charity work undertaken by the major, often raising thousands of pounds each year for worthy causes.
Reaction to the news from local residents has been mixed. Many argue the role of mayor should be scrapped all together whilst others see the chauffeur driven car as a legitimate expense.
