London-wide + Lewisham stories

Petition to save the threatened Freedom Pass

Plans uncovered by London Councils show Government proposals to cut funding for the popular Freedom Pass - the scheme that gives older people and disabled residents free travel across London.

The government plans to seize £50 million from London to shore up funding gaps in other parts of England. Unlike other parts of the country that receive 100% of the costs of the free travel scheme, in London local council tax payers pay a third. These government cuts would reduce that support to 50%.

1 November 2009 - 6:31pm

London Assembly calls for One Hour Bus Ticket

The London Assembly today overwhelmingly agreed a motion calling on the Mayor to explore a proposal to introduce a ‘one hour bus ticket’ to be available on ‘Pay As You Go’ Oyster cards.

The proposal, which would enable passengers to use more than one bus during a 60-minute period without paying more than £1.00, would be more affordable and convenient for Londoners using public transport.

Caroline Pidgeon AM, who proposed today’s original motion, said:
“You can already switch from tube to tube on the same ticket, so it makes real sense to allow people to do the same with buses. It really is unfair that people who use Oyster pay as you go have to pay a new fare every time they change buses.

"One hour bus tickets already operate successfully in Paris, Rome and Brussels. It is now time London caught up and gave bus users a fair deal.

22 October 2009 - 8:40pm

Caroline joins cross-party campaign against Lewisham rail cuts

Caroline Pidgeon joined a cross party group to speak out against planned cuts to Lewisham's local rail services, and to take their campaign to Government ministers.

The South London Press reported on the campaign here.

The group have also written a letter to the South London Press, setting out their stance:

Dear Sir,

We are deeply concerned by the proposed deep cuts to already overcrowded train services run by Southern Railways via Sydenham, Forest Hill, Honor Oak Park, Brockley and New Cross Gate. Passengers are rightly outraged by these cuts and concerned that an already overcrowded and unpleasant commute will turn into a daily nightmare.

22 October 2009 - 8:32pm

The Mayor hits the wallets and purses of millions of Londoners

Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson and Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, commenting on the Mayor’s fare package for 2010 which is hiking up tube and bus fares and cutting bus and tube services in outer London, said:

"For the second year in a row the Mayor is punishing Londoners with an inflation busting increase in fares. Incredibly even a short bus journey involving just one change will set people back £2.40.

"People in outer London will be particularly aggrieved to be paying even more for a poorer service.

15 October 2009 - 9:34pm

Government cuts threaten Freedom Pass

Caroline Pidgeon joined Tom Brake MP and Lewisham Lib Dem councillor Chris Maines to highlight the threat that the Government's cuts pose to the future of London's Freedom Pass.

This cut would be a hit of £1.8 million on the council tax payers of Lewisham, according to Liberal Democrat Cllr Chris Maines.

“The Government are moving resources away from London and they are planning a cut that would effectively mean that cross borough travel on buses in London would not be funded.

“This would be a double whammy for Lewisham residents who were promised by Tory Mayor Boris Johnston that he would allow the freedom pass to used before 9.30am on local trains. A promise not yet kept.

13 October 2009 - 8:20pm

Dial-a-Ride fails disabled people across London

Disabled and elderly people across the whole of London have faced a growing number of refused trips from Transport for London’s Dial-a-Ride service.

Following extensive questioning by Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, the Mayor has been forced to release figures showing that over the last two years there has been more than a 50% increase in the number of trips refused to disabled and elderly people who rely on the Dial-a-Ride service.

Commenting on the figures, Caroline Pidgeon said:
“Three years ago Transport for London promised disabled Londoners a far better deal from Dial-a-Ride. They specifically promised that the number of refused trips would halve in just two years. Yet instead of falling the number of refused trips have actually gone up by more than 50%. It is simply appalling every day of the year more than 400 trips are now refused to Dial-a-Ride users.

28 September 2009 - 9:55pm

Transport campaigns in Forest Hill

On Friday 4th September Caroline visited Forest Hill with local Lib Dem Councillors John Russell and Alex Feakes to look at a number of transport issues.

Talking to local residents and members of the Forest Hill Society, Caroline heard about several key transport issues, several of which Caroline has tabled questions to the Mayor about:

1. The proposed reduction in train services from Forest Hill at peak times and in evenings and weekends to Charing Cross;

2. The dangerous junction of Forest Hill Road and Sydenham Rise;

3. The virtually invisible bus stops on Sydenham Rise due to overgrown trees, bushes and no dedicated bus space to pull in by the kerb; and

4. Issues of visitor traffic around the Horniman Museum, congesting local streets.

11 September 2009 - 10:35pm

Graffiti problems at St John's station

Caroline visited St John’s station in Lewisham to witness the huge amount of graffiti that appears all over the station and on surrounding walls.

“There needs to be a simple way to report such graffiti and other environmental nuisance at stations and other transport areas as there are so many train companies and public bodies involved it is difficult to work out who is responsible. I have called on the Mayor of London to look at introducing such a website or web pages” commented Caroline. (See Caroline's question to Boris Johnson here.)

11 September 2009 - 9:55pm

Fury at plan to close station exit

Southeastern Trains' plan to close the Tesco side exit from platform 4 at Lewisham Station has been met with fury by local residents. The rail operator intends to divert passengers down a new staircase or lift and under the railway to the entrance of Lewisham DLR Station. It is a detour which will add at least four minutes to journey times.

Caroline visited the exit at rush hour with local councillors and Lewisham Deptford Lib Dem Campaigner Tam Langley, to see the number of people using the exit.

“Southeastern trains need to reconsider this decision and ensure that all entrances to the station can be used” commented Caroline Pidgeon AM.

11 September 2009 - 8:22pm

New train secretly axed

Caroline recently visited Lewisham with Lib Dem Campaigner Tam Langley and local councillors to look at the wider impact on train services of the East London Line Extension and proposals to delete the South London Line.

As part of the deal to secure the East London Line Extension, Transport for London and the Government agreed behind closed doors to scrap the promised Bellingham to Victoria service. This was being introduced to mitigate the impact of the planned closure of the South London Line which runs on a loop form Victoria to London Bridge. The planned service would have been four trains and hour from Bellingham to Victoria via Crofton Park, and provided a lifeline for Lewisham residents.

The Lib Dem Prospective MP for Lewisham Deptford Tam Langley, said, "TfL are supposed to announce any change of plans for this new service publicly, but they seem to just hope local people won't notice. We hope they will reconsider”.

11 September 2009 - 8:04pm

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