Caroline's news

Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on Transport for London’s plans to start from today a 12-week consultation on plans for a lane rental scheme that should give utility companies an economic incentive to complete roadworks more quickly, said:

“For over three years the Mayor has been talking about forcing utility companies to ‘hire’ the road while at the same time overlooking steps he could have already taken to reduce congestion across London.

A new name for Blackfriars Station would provide exciting new opportunities for the Bankside area, predict Caroline Pidgeon and Simon Hughes.

Commenting at the start of a Network Rail consultation for a potential new name to Blackfriars station, Caroline said:

“It is time to put Bankside on the map! Including Bankside in the station’s name would really help attract far more tourists and visitors to the area and lead to more money being spent locally. It would be good for businesses and good for local residents."

Local people in the Gooshays Drive area of Harold Hill have long been campaigning for a bus shelter to enable better accessibility for older and disabled bus users. The issue was recently brought Caroline's attention by local residents and Lib Dem campaigners, and Caroline raised this with Transport for London, asking if a shelter could possibly be installed.

Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, is calling for a number of key assurances from the Mayor, Transport for London and the developers Treasury Holdings over the proposed extension of the Northern Line to Nine Elms and Battersea.

In a detailed submission to the public consultation, Caroline Pidgeon sets out Route 2 as the preferred option, due to the benefits it would bring for people living around the Nine Elms area, while also reducing pressure at Vauxhall station and on the Victoria line.

Yet while backing Route 2, Caroline sets out a number of concerns which must be addressed:

After years of disruption on the Jubilee Line new evidence has come to light revealing some of the real costs of the years of dragged out weekend closures.

Following extensive freedom of information requests Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, has now discovered that the costs of the weekend closures since April 2007 on the Jubilee Line include:

• 32 million passengers being affected by the weekend closures, leading to a loss in ticket revenue of a staggering £15.7 million
• Transport for London having to spend £13 million on replacement buses

Commenting on these immense figures Caroline Pidgeon said:

“A year ago the Mayor and Transport for London admitted that the upgrade programme on the Jubilee Line would slip once again. After years of disruption to passengers, communities and businesses they announced a further year of weekend closures which has only just finished.