£200,000 transport job goes begging

Transport bosses have failed for the second time to find a new chief executive despite offering to pay more than the Prime Minister’s salary.

David Leather, interim chief executive of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive who has been seconded to the role since 2006, will stay for the time being.

The Executive which is overseeing the massive expansion of public transport in Greater Manchester, including bringing trams to Rochdale town centre, tried three years ago to find a permanent replacement for Mr Leather — who has always said he does not want to do the job permanently. But the search proved fruitless after the high profile railway boss turned them down.

The latest bid to find a replacement was begun by top recruitment agency Veredus in April offering a salary of £200,000, considerably more than the average for PTE chief executives — and more than any other public official in Greater Manchester.

Applicants were told that they “must lead the development of high quality public transport for a modern city and region and also influence the wider national public transport agenda”.

But Councillor Keith Whitmore, elected chairman of Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority said: “We have decided not to appoint a new chief executive of GMPTE for the time being.”