BBC spends £500 a day of your cash ... on taxis

BBC Scotland is spending more than £500 of licence fee payers’ cash a day on taxis.

The publicly funded broadcaster ran up a bill of almost £200,000 to ferry staff around and to ‘courier’ items.

And the total taxi bill is likely to be even higher as BBC bosses refused to reveal the cost of ferrying celebrity guests and programme contributors to and from its studios.

Figures from the broadcaster revealed that cabs were used to transport staff to and from the BBC’s Glasgow HQ when working early or late in the evening.

Tapes and other items ‘of a sensitive or urgent nature’ are also being ferried by cab. BBC Scotland, which receives £220million a year in funding, spent £194,971 on taxis during 2017-18 – slightly down on the previous year’s figure of £228,100.

John O’Connell, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Hard-pressed licence fee payers will wonder how they racked up such an extraordinary bill. The BBC has to start spending money more efficiently or sympathy for the outdated TV tax will continue to wane.’

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed BBC Scotland’s news and current affairs department spent the most on taxis, with £58,570 being racked up over the 12 months.

A further £29,634 was paid out in cabs for presenters.

The radio arm of BBC Scotland shelled out £27,318 on cabs while the sports department spent £13,623. The entertainment division spent £6,614, while ‘online, knowledge and learning’ paid £6,817.

BBC chiefs said the money spent on ferrying around celebrity guests was exempt from disclosure because it was used for ‘journalism, art and literature’ purposes.

Shows made at the BBC’s Pacific Quay headquarters in Glasgow include Reporting Scotland, whose presenters include Jackie Bird, Cat Shearer and Sally Magnusson, and Sportscene, hosted by Jonathan Sutherland.

The BBC is set to launch its £32million Scottish digital channel on February 24. BBC chiefs say the plans will create 140 jobs over the next three years and a £4million digital design and engineering hub will be set up in Glasgow.

Critics suggest the number of staff needed will ‘distort’ Scotland’s media industry, making it top-heavy in favour of the broadcaster.

A key aspect of the channel is its nightly 9pm news, an hour-long show presented by Rebecca Curran and Martin Geissler.

Last December, the BBC became embroiled in an equal pay row after it emerged Mr Geissler, 47, will earn more than his 32-year-old co-host.

The pay gap is embarrassing for BBC Scotland as its director Donalda MacKinnon has spearheaded a project to ‘make the BBC a great place for women to work’.

A BBC spokesman said: ‘The BBC is a global broadcaster bringing news, documentaries and sport from around the world. Transport costs, including taxi costs, are, inevitably, incurred in maintaining and building this business.

‘The BBC has a rigorous expenses policy and we are committed to reducing costs.’

‘Start spending more efficiently’