Cape Town — ID leader Patricia de Lille has vowed to fight to ensure that MPs are as accountable for their travel costs as ministers, to prevent "loopholes" in parliamentary travel policies being abused - despite tighter rules imposed since the Travelgate scandal.

Yesterday, De Lille released details of a scheme through which some MPs with distant homes and constituencies are allegedly skimming off up to R40 000 a month in travel claims by using their cars for journeys that would be cheaper by plane. MPs are paid out for road journeys, and overnight stays in hotels along the way are included.

De Lille will take her case for a "clampdown" on MPs' travel habits to the Parliamentary Oversight Authority - which oversees budgets and spending - when the legislature resumes work in January.

She wants Parliament to publish a quarterly report - for public scrutiny - of all MPs' travel records to discourage abuse of travel privileges.

This comes after National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu refused her request for a "detailed breakdown" of all MPs' travel records to provide evidence that the system is being milked.

"I know many people are doing this, but I can't access the proof," De Lille said. "The MPs talk among themselves and about driving home nearly every weekend.

"I found out when one of my members also drove up and down. I have put a stop to it for all my members and all claims must now go through the caucus, because it is a free-for-all and no political party really has control over how much their MPs claim."

Sisulu said that while he supported De Lille's attempts to expose alleged abuse, disclosing travel records could infringe on MPs' right to privacy and "pose a security risk" to them.

"It would be more appropriate for you to table the matter at the Joint Rules Committee. In this way, members and political parties will be afforded an opportunity to assess the feasibility of your proposal as well as to consider whether it will affect their rights or compromise their security," he said in a letter to the ID leader.

De Lille said that ministers were accountable to Parliament for their travel costs.

"Ministers' accommodation and travel is not paid by Parliament, but they are public representatives, like MPs, and we can ask them at any time how much they've spent... But there is no such rule for MPs.

"Parliament is structured in such a way that MPs are not able to ask the Speaker scrutinising questions, such as how much is spent on each MP's travel costs."

Parliament's travel rules have been tightened since Travelgate, which saw MPs exchanging vouchers for air travel for cash and other privileges.

MPs may travel by road only if it is not more expensive than a trip by air. While they forfeit two of the 86 air tickets they are given annually for a return trip, they are paid out according to the top AA mileage rate and receive R1 150 for each leg of the trip for overnight bed and breakfast expenses.

"It's a lot of money that Parliament is spending," De Lille said, referring to alleged "exorbitant" trumped-up claims.

"It appears that some MPs will stop at nothing when it comes to making a quick buck off the sweat of the taxpayer," she said.

"I find it incredible that political parties in Parliament have not learnt from Travelgate and clamped down on MPs who insist on looting public money.

"This goes against the Speaker's challenge to newly elected MPs in his budget speech earlier this year to exercise greater responsibility in the use of Parliamentary resources."

Sisulu's office said he would not comment beyond the advice he had given her in the letter.