Boris Johnson has been attacked by a Commons committee for his "apparent disregard" of the bodies tasked with holding him to account.
Criticism of the London mayor came in a report from the Commons transport committee examining the heavy snowfall in February which brought traffic chaos and the cancellation of bus services in the capital.
While Johnson had insisted the cancellation of bus services was an operational matter, the MPs said that he should "acknowledge that the transport situation in the capital on February 1 and 2 was unsatisfactory".
"While many of the factors leading to the transport disruption were unavoidable, more active strategic leadership and preparation could have given more confidence and may have enabled more public transport services to be restored more quickly," they added.
And expressing their displeasure with the mayor's alleged reluctance to give evidence to the transport committee, the MPs said he should show greater respect for their work.
"We are disappointed at the mayor's apparent disregard for scrutiny work," they concluded.
"Furthermore, because of London's position as the capital, circumstances there sometimes affect the nation as a whole disproportionately. In such circumstances, Parliament has a role in examining what could have been done better.
"We approached this task in a constructive frame of mind. We hope that the Mayor of London will reconsider his strategy in relation to scrutiny, and we urge him to adopt a more open and constructive approach.
"The lack of leadership manifested in his reaction to the disruption of public transport is disappointing."
On the disruption caused by the February freeze, the report concluded that co-ordination, prioritisation and visible leadership are more important than extra resources to speed up recovery from transport disruption.
Committee chairman Louise Ellman said: "The travel disruption at the beginning of February was unsatisfactory.
"While the unusually heavy snow fall meant that some disruption was inevitable, it is vital that all those involved ensure that winter maintenance plans and crisis responses are reconsidered so as to minimise disruption in the future."
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd