Department for Transport faces significant job cuts, major restructuring

Fri 17 September 2010 View all news

The Department for Transport could shed hundreds of jobs in a major restructuring as Whitehall cuts start to bite according to a report in The Guardian.

The paper says that a briefing document circulating in the rail industry outlines plans to rebuild the DfT around four internal departments instead of five, with a 33% reduction in administration costs.

The report says that the DfT will split into four directorates: domestic; international; major projects, and corporate services.

A DfT spokesperson told The Guardian that the government had ordered the cutting of administration costs across all departments as part of its spending review. "It makes sense to consider how we organise ourselves and work differently to deliver our commitments and priorities in the most cost-effective and efficient way," the spokesperson said.

The Transport Secretary is also reported to be considering a reduction in the fuel subsidy for bus operators, which costs the DfT about £500m a year – a scenario that has already prompted warnings of rising fares and cuts in routes from bus operators.

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