Sir Keith Bright (30 August 1931 – 20 January 2021) was Chairman of

London Regional Transport London Regional Transport (LRT) was the organisation responsible for most of the public transport network in London, England, between 1984 and 2000. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operation ...

in the 1980s. He resigned following the Fennell Report into the King's Cross fire in 1988, that criticised the management of

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or as the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The Undergro ...

and London Transport.

Biography

Graduating from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

, Bright worked for a wide variety of companies including

Formica ''Formica'' is a genus of ants of the subfamily Formicinae, including species commonly known as wood ants, mound ants, thatching ants, and field ants. ''Formica'' is the type genus of the Formicidae, and of the subfamily Formicinae. The type ...

, Sime Darby and Associated Biscuits.''''

London Transport

Bright was headhunted by the Greater London Council (GLC) to lead London Transport, despite having no experience in the transportation industry. He was appointed Chairman of the London Transport Executive (LTE) in 1982. Underground ridership was declining, and efforts to reduce costs by cutting service, increasing ticket prices or cutting staff were blocked by Unions and the GLC – led by

Ken Livingstone Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born 17 June 1945) is an English former politician who served as the Leader of the Greater London Council (GLC) from 1981 until the council was Local Government Act 1985, abolished in 1986, and as Mayor of Londo ...

. Following political rows between the

Conservative government Conservative or Tory government may refer to: Canada In Canadian politics, a Conservative government may refer to the following governments administered by the Conservative Party of Canada or one of its historical predecessors: * 1st Canadian Min ...

and the GLC, the

London Regional Transport Act 1984 London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

removed the transport powers of the GLC, with LTE becoming London Regional Transport. Bright remained as chairman, reporting directly to the

Secretary of State for Transport The secretary of state for transport, also referred to as the transport secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the policies of the Departm ...

. Improvements such as the Travelcard, automatic ticket machines and more night buses helped to improve service and increase revenue. Expenditure was also cut, with job losses due to the

privatisation of London bus services The privatisation of London bus services was the process of the transfer of operation of buses in London from public bodies to private companies. For half a century, operation of London bus services for public transport was under the direct con ...

. The requirement of taxpayer support was halved to £95m a year, 2 years ahead of schedule. By 1987, the Underground was 40% busier than its 1982 low – with future plans for transport improvements such as the

Docklands Light Railway The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is an automated medium-capacity rail system, light metro system primarily serving the redeveloped London Docklands, Docklands area of London and providing a direct connection between London's two major financi ...

and the Jubilee Line Extension well underway. In 1987, Bright was knighted for services to London Transport.

Kings Cross fire

In 1987, a major fire at King's Cross Underground station killed 31 people. Following the fire, Bright offered to resign; however, Transport Secretary Paul Channon requested Bright to stay as chairman throughout the subsequent public inquiry. During the inquiry, Bright was criticised for suggesting that an

arson Arson is the act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercr ...

ist was to blame for the fire. In 1988, the Fennell Report into the fire was published, which revealed serious issues with the safety of the Underground and its management culture. Both Bright and Tony Ridley (Chairman of London Underground) resigned. He was replaced on an caretaker basis by Sir Neil Shields (1988–89), and then by Sir Wilfrid Newton. London Regional Transport subsequently paid Bright £34,000.

Subsequent career

After his resignation from London Transport, Bright became chairman of Electrocomponents. Further chairperson and directorship positions followed including Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust,

British Airports Authority Heathrow Airport Holdings is a company that operates and manages Heathrow Airport based in London, England. It was formed by the privatisation of the British Airports Authority as BAA plc as part of Margaret Thatcher's privatisation of governme ...

and Brent Walker.''''

Later years and death

After several years with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

, Bright died in January 2021 from

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

, aged 89. Bright was survived by his wife Margot and their daughter Octavia, as well as a son and daughter from his first marriage. In July 2023, Octavia published a memoir, ''This Ragged Grace: On Recovery and Renewal'', about her relationship with her father in his later years living with dementia.

References