Caroline Pidgeon AM, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the Mayor’s plans for London’s road network which he has announced in the United States said:
"This is exactly the kind of announcement that the Mayor of London should make in London, ideally at a press conference, where London’s media, including local newspapers, can properly question the Mayor on his specific proposals.
“Making such a key announcement about London’s future on the other side of the Atlantic might lead to good headlines for one day for the Mayor, but it is not the best way to make long term public policy. It also reveals the Mayor’s stunning lack of respect for Londoners."
Commenting more widely on some of the proposals being suggested by the Mayor for tunnels and ‘fly-unders’ Caroline said:
“I am not against tunnelling in principle, but what concerns me is that ultimately the Mayor seems to be adopting transport modelling for the future that assumes there will be a significant growth in car journeys. The Mayor seems to lack an alternative vision of significant modal change in how journeys are made. He also seems unwilling to consider practical measures to tackle congestion such as smarter use of Congestion Charging and introducing a levy on major employers in central London who offer significant car park spaces to their employees.”