The Assembly’s Transport Committee has urged the Government to devolve control of London rail routes to the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) rather than franchising them to different rail operators. The Committee supports the devolution of these key services, currently run by Southeastern and West Anglia, in a letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin.
Speaking to the London Loves Business website on figures that show that £55m is lying unused on Oyster cards that have not been used in over a year, Caroline Pidgeon commented:
"The slight decline in TfL’s cash pile is welcome, but it is time far more of this money was returned to the public.
“Transport for London has a huge media and publicity machine. It is time they put this to good use and ensured that everyone knows that they are entitled to obtain a refund on any unused Oyster cards."
Speaking to the Evening Standard about plans that Transport for London is considering to phase out cash payment on buses, Caroline Pidgeon said:
"With all buses now having ‘wave and pay’ facilities the decline in passengers paying by cash is set to fall even further.
"My number one concern is that every fare offered by Oyster remains the cheapest on offer. It is vital that people without access to a bank account can access the lowest fares.
Commenting on the emerging news that the Mayor approved an additional £500k of public money to fund the New Year's Eve fireworks after the withdrawal of a sponsor, Lib Dem London Assembly leader Caroline Pidgeon said:
“The Mayor needs to explain why he initially signed a decision which allowed a contractor who secured a public contract to turn around at the eleventh hour and demand £500,000 more.
“The Mayor also needs to explain why these appalling decisions have been kept secret from Londoners for so long.”
Figures obtained by Caroline Pidgeon have revealed that the Thames cable car service was interrupted 43 times by high winds between July 2012 and January 2013 - totalling 134 hours of lost service.
Read more here on the Wharf website.
