London Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate Brian Paddick today revealed how he would offer Londoners the chance to reclaim the streets from criminals and work with police to help reduce rising levels of crime.
Brian and his candidate for Deputy Mayor, London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon, spoke to residents in Vauxhall about a recent spate of muggings in the area and their concerns about safety in the community.
Commenting on Transport for London's secrecy about its advertising deal with CBS Media, London Assembly Lib Dem leader Caroline Pidgeon commented:
"The end of the legal dispute might seem welcome but the key issue is whether it has come at a high price to Londoners.
"Despite Boris Johnson being elected promising greater transparency about how public money is being spent, the reality is more and more deals at TfL are being done behind closed doors."
Read the full story here in the Evening Standard.
The Islington Gazette reports that - as revealed by Caroline Pidgeon's questioning of TfL - 17 pelican crossings in Islington are not safe for visually impaired people as they have no sound or rotating cones to indicate when it is safe to cross.
Caroline commented:
"It is a total disgrace that such basic safety standards are still not being met."
Figures obtained from TfL by Caroline Pidgeon have shown that several pedestrian crossings in Havering do not meet minimum safety standards - either because they do not have the required equipment to make them safe for blind and partially sighted people, or because the time to cross is too short for people with limited mobility.
The crossings are located at:
Commenting on the news that 4000 BMW cars will be shipped in from Germany to transport officials during the Olympics, London Assembly Lib Dem leader Caroline Pidgeon said:
"As we were promised that the 2012 Games would be the greenest Olympics ever to take place, only electric vehicles should have been considered.
"Electric vehicles are not only quieter, but far less harmful to people’s lungs.
"The 2012 Games should have been a big boost to the growth of electric vehicles in the UK, but instead we have vehicles which merely add to London’s serious air pollution."
Read the full story here in the Daily Mail.
The London SE1 website reports on Caroline Pidgeon's question to the Mayor about the cost of the office space TfL is renting in the Palestra building in Southwark:
Caroline Pidgeon: With work underway to look at co-location of Underground and Surface Control centres, are you aware of any lower-cost office space in Greater London than currently proposed at Palestra?
Calling for further action to install Trixi mirrors that would ensure lorry drivers can see cyclists at dangerous junctions, London Assembly Lib Dem leader Caroline Pidgeon said:
"After so many cycle deaths this year on London's roads and a rise in cyclists killed or hurt on roads across the UK as a whole, it is time for real action on making our roads safer for cyclists.
The Inside Croydon blog reports that - as discovered from figures that Caroline Pidgeon forced Transport for London to publish - seven pedestrian crossings in the borough do not meet the minimum requirements for visually impaired people to be safe:
Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport spokesperson, today welcomed the announcement by Transport Secretary Justine Greening MP that passengers on some lines serving commuters on a number of the busiest rail routes from south west London into Waterloo are set to benefit from extra carriages to ease overcrowding, and that one platform at the former Waterloo International Station is to be reopened for commuter services.
Commenting on the decision, Caroline Pidgeon said:
Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the High Court ruling confirming that a tube strike will go ahead on Boxing Day said:
"This strike is unwelcome as it will harm London's retailers, disrupt numerous Boxing Day events and lead to more cars on London's roads - it is the last thing London needs.
"Londoners who are just days away from being hit by large tube fare rises will find it hard to understand why this strike is really necessary."
