Caroline's news

Lib Dem London Assembly leader Caroline Pidgeon joined mayoral candidate Brian Paddick to visit London's Chinese Community Centre in Gerrard Street, Soho. The community centre was as usual bustling with activities, from Chinese musical instrument lessons, to a calligraphy and brush painting class under the stewardship of their Chair, Christine Yau, who had kindly facilitated the visit.

Merlene Emerson, Chair of Chinese Lib Dems, had brought together a number of community leaders and experts for a round-table discussion to understand the issues facing the community. Nikki Li, Chinese Team Leader of the grass roots organisation, Citizens UK, shared about their campaigns such as that to stop the proliferation of gambling outlets in Chinatown, as well as their work across London for safer streets and the right to a living wage.

London Liberal Democrat leader Caroline Pidgeon promised "to campaign against cuts to policing and tackle overcrowding on London's transport network" as she launched the Lib Dem London Assembly election campaign at a social club in Harrow.

Caroline outlined Lib Dem policy on:

• Cycling safety: stopping plans to expand the Mayor’s cycle super-highways until they have been fully reviewed and all dangerous junctions made safe.

Welcoming the news that maintenance engineers will be able to travel in police cars with blue lights and sirens to respond to Tube failures during the Olympics next year, Caroline Pidgeon said:

"We've got to keep the Tube going through the Games more than at any other time.

"London's reputation depends on it. If doing that means giving engineers blue light status then I am all for it. Anything that gets the Tube working more quickly can only be a good thing."

Caroline Pidgeon, the leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, has recently presented a petition to the Mayor of London calling for him to work with Hounslow Council to ensure that a rarely used bus stand at Feltham train station is turned into a short term drop off/pick off point for rail passengers.

The demands of the petition are backed up by powerful evidence that a huge number of local residents are being hit by penalty charges following the introduction of cameras by Hounslow Council. A recent freedom of information request and further inquiries have confirmed that there have been a total to date total of 7,119 penalty charge notices at this location. The total income received has been £337,724.48; with an additional £68,856.52 currently outstanding from 549 PCNs.

Watch the video to the right to hear Caroline discuss the future of ticketing.

In a report published, today the London Assembly's transport committee has warned of the risks with TfL's plans to adopt "wave and pay" bank card technology on London's transport network.

The new system is expected to be up and running on all of London's 8000 buses in time for the 2012 Olympic Games, and rolled out onto the Tube, DLR, Tram and London Overground network before the end of 2012 - but the committee's report describes this plan as "unconvincing" and highlights issues around data security, the costs of the scheme, and its impact on the 20% of Londoners without access to credit or debit cards.