BBC studio 'spent £1,000 a day on taxis'

Executives at the BBC's studios in Cardiff where Doctor Who and Upstairs Downstairs are filmed have been spending more than £1,000 a day on taxis, it has emerged.

According to figures obtained by the Daily Telegraph, the production headquarters of BBC Wales spent £595,551 on taxi rides in the 18 months up to November, equivalent to more than 2,800 annual licence fees at £145.50 each.

The BBC said that the money was mostly being spent on taxis for artists and contributors, but also insisted that "every effort" was made to curb the costs.

A spokesman for the corporation said: "In 2009 to 2010 BBC Wales produced more than 1,500 hours of television programming and nearly 14,000 hours of radio with a total turnover of £150 million.

"Transport costs are an inevitable consequence of these business activities, with around half of this spend incurred to transport guests, artists and contributors.

"However, every effort is made to minimise the level of such costs. This included use of a centralised booking system which enables us to monitor taxi use and negotiated better deals with suppliers."

Charlotte Linacre, from campaign group the Taxpayers Alliance, said that the BBC is spending far too much on the "luxury convenience" of taxis.

"This a large bill for licence fee payers to foot. Some taxi rides are unavoidable, but too much is being spent on the luxury of convenience while cheaper options are available," she said.

"It's important that public sector organisations work as hard as possible to save money for the taxpayers that have to fund them, especially when families are hard pressed following the recession."

In June, construction work began on the new BBC Wales drama production village at Roath Basin, near Cardiff, which will be home to Doctor Who and Casualty from 2012.