Caroline's news

Caroline joined local Lib Dem Councillors and Tom Brake MP on Saturday 18th May to collect signatures from local people against the proposed closure of St Heliers A&E and maternity services, and to campaign on some key transport issues in the area.

Give us back our night bus
The loss of the N213 night bus has had a real impact on people in Carshalton and Wallington. Local Lib Dems are calling on TfL as part of their review of bus routes to look to reintroduce a night bus service in Carshalton and Wallington by converting the existing 154 route into a 24 hour service.

The gap between the last and first bus is only 4 hours, so a half hourly service during these hours would not require too many additional journeys. Timetabling an extended route to connect the N155 at Morden and N44 at Rosehill would also improve connections for those returning back from Central London.

Caroline visited Sudbury on Friday 26th April and joined Lib Dem Leader Cllr Paul Lorber and local campaigners including Bob Wharton looking at a range of issues in the area. These included the virtually non-existent train service from Sudbury Harrow Road Station; The state of litter around the station; the closure of Barham Library by the Labour Council and looking at alternative space for the library in the local Sudbury Town tube station.

“It was good to walk around Sudbury and to discuss the transport and library issues with Cllr Paul Lorber and the team, to see and hear first hand the real problems that local residents face” commented Caroline.

Caroline visited Brent on Friday 26th April to meet local Lib Dem Sarah Teather MP and local councillors to look at a range of issues in the Borough.

After looking at the dangerous A5 near Staples Corner and the need for a pedestrian Crossing, Caroline visited the Dollis Hill Safer Neighbourhood Base which is set to become one of the Mayor’s new Contact Points for the police. This office will be open for 3 hours a week and be a place where local residents can report crime, rather than at the local police station which is being closed by the Mayor.

Commenting on figures from TfL showing that the Thames cable car has been closed 69 times between July 2012 and April 2013 - not including a week's planned closure in March, Caroline Pidgeon commented:

"These figures show just how unreliable the Thames cable car is as a form of public transport.

"If a year ago anyone suggested that the Thames cable car would have to close for over 216 hours in its first nine months of operating they would be accused of wild scaremongering.

Caroline Pidgeon AM joined other London Assembly Members on a visit to the Transport Research Laboratory in Bracknell on Friday 7th June to see first hand the trials of different Dutch style junctions to make roads safer for cyclists and other users including pedestrians.

Caroline witnessed a trial with a dedicated cyclist traffic light as well as experiencing first hand a Dutch style roundabout with segregated cycle lanes. Caroline also saw lorry technology with alerts for cyclists and a driver simulator showing how different drivers react to different road layouts.