London-wide + Westminster stories

Garden Bridge project - murkier than the River Thames

Writing for the Folly For London website on the Garden Bridge project, Caroline Pidgeon takes on the Mayor over the lack of transparency around many aspects of the process:

Yet when it comes to the Garden Bridge this spirit of openness suddenly disappears. Obtaining information about the funding and procurement of the proposed bridge has been a lengthy and torturous process and even now many questions remain unanswered.

Step-free access to half London's stations is not enough

Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on today’s announcement that half of TfL’s rail and Underground stations will be step-free by 2018, said:

“Any progress on making more TfL rail and Underground stations step-free is obviously welcome.

“However we can hardly be complacent when the reality is that in three years’ time half of all TfL rail and Underground will still be permanently inaccessible to disabled people and the many other people who require step free access.”

Police must properly engage with the public on body camera trial

As a Freedom Of Information request revealed that just one person has given feedback to the Metropolitan Police's consultation of the use of body-worn cameras by officers, Caroline Pidgeon said:

“The technology should make the police more accountable to the public and help route out police malpractices committed by a very small minority of police officers.

Cycle incident analysis exposes TFL's failure to invest in safe cycling infrastructure

Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on a report by the insurance company Aviva which has analysed police road traffic collision data between 2009 to 2013 on London’s roads, said:

These figures confirm that cycling around many gyratories and especially roundabouts such as the Elephant and Castle is nothing less than a Tour de Danger for cyclists.

Just why were cycle tracks dropped from the proposed Garden Bridge?

Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on a report published in Architects Journal about lobbying for the Garden Bridge, based on correspondence between the Mayor and Joanna Lumley, said:

We now know that back in May 2012 the Mayor was lobbied to support the Garden Bridge and at this stage was specifically told by Joanna Lumley that the proposed bridge would have segregated cycle tracks.

The fact that a significant change in policy then took place to ban cyclists from using the bridge, apparently at the sole insistence of Joanna Lumley, raises significant questions about how the changing views of one individual can then lead to such an important revision in the architectural design of a major project.

Vital questions over funding and operation of the Garden Bridge still remain

Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the decision by the Mayor of London’s office to give planning permission for the Garden Bridge:

“There can be no denying that numerous questions still remain over the long term maintenance funding of the bridge and who will ultimately be picking up the bill.

“Numerous important issues also remain about the public access to the bridge.

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