Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the Mayor’s decision to rule out further consideration of a Travelcard to cover part-time workers, said:
“The Mayor’s categorical statement that he will not consider further introducing a travelcard to cover part-time workers is deeply disappointing.
“Already 900,000 people in London work part-time and the figure is rapidly increasing.
An ambitious plan to deliver 270,000 new affordable homes in the capital by 2018 has been set out by Liberal Democrat London Assembly Members Stephen Knight and Caroline Pidgeon in a recent report. The plans set out to turn around the total failure over the last 35 years to build a sufficient number of affordable homes in the capital, leading to not only soaring rents but also a soaring Housing Benefit bill.
The bold proposals highlight seven changes in policy that are needed, relating to London boroughs, the Mayor and central Government.
Commenting on the news that the "Very Important Pedestrians" day, where West End shopping streets are closed to traffic, has been cancelled, Caroline Pidgeon said:
"After a decade of growing success, it is bitterly disappointing that VIP Day is not taking place this year.
"Every year, tills have been ringing out as tens of thousands of extra customers have flooded into the West End to take advantage of streets free from noisy and polluting vehicles.
"Far from ending VIP Day, we should be building upon it."
Welcoming the news that the GLA will publish almost all of its previously secret contracts, Caroline Pidgeon cautioned:
“It has been a long fight but the Mayor’s response to the repeated calls by the London Assembly for far more information to be placed in the public domain over contracts signed at City Hall is incredibly welcome.
On the release of figures showing the millions of hours already lost this year to Tube passengers during service delays, Caroline Pidgeon said:
“The one thing that is definitely on schedule is that London will see 20 million lost customer hours on the Tube by the end of the year.
“While this figure might be an improvement on the appalling previous years’ figures it is still a staggering waste of time for hard pressed passengers.
