Campaigning articles

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”.

Caroline Pidgeon, the chair of the London Assembly transport committee, came to the launch of a Liberal Democrat campaign in Camden to introduce 20mph limits on streets across the wards of King’s Cross and Bloomsbury.

Caroline said: “Lib Dems London-wide are pushing for greater action on speeding than either the current or previous London mayors have been prepared to take.”

Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner for Holborn and St Pancras Jo Shaw, and King’s Cross Lib Dems, have welcomed the fact that money will be spent on improving the dangerous junction on Marchmont Street. But they said that pedestrians deserve to feel safe everywhere.

Jo Shaw commented: “Residents across the south of Camden have told that they feel unsafe and uncomfortable walking around the streets of their own neighbourhood.

“A 20mph limit for our streets would at a stroke make the traffic less intimidating, less noisy and, most importantly, unlikely to hurt anybody.”

Caroline Pidgeon AM, Liberal Democrat chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, has called on Greenwich Council Leader Chris Roberts to provide an alternative river crossing for hundreds of cyclists when the Greenwich Foot Tunnel closes for up to 18 months for renovation. Cyclists and pedestrians are also threatened with the closure of the 'sister' Woolwich Foot Tunnel at the same time.

Cllr Pidgeon met a group of cyclists at the Cutty Sark outside the south entrance to the Foot Tunnel with Liberal Democrat group leader on Greenwich Council Brian Woodcraft, Cllr Paul Webbewood, and Lib Dem councillors from Lewisham.

After using the lift and inspecting the Tunnel, Caroline Pidgeon said:
"Chris Roberts and Boris Johnson cannot just leave hundreds of cyclists who depend on the Foot Tunnel to get to work every day without an alternative. They face either biking many extra miles to cross Tower Bridge or to use the Woolwich Ferry. The Blackwall and Rotherhithe Tunnels are too dangerous for cyclists and DLR rules do not permit bikes. The Council and the Mayor must find a workable alternative."

Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson and Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, is pushing for a permanent solution to be found to the unsafe junction of Green Lane and High Road which has been plagued for a long time by overgrown shrubbery.

Caroline recently visited the junction at the request of Liberal Democrat Councillors Roger Giess and Julian Heather.

Caroline said:
“The problem with this corner is that the shrubbery keeps growing and makes the junction unsafe as it blocks the views for motorists turning into Green Lane from the High Road. At the same time pedestrians crossing Green Lane have a reduced view of cars turning into the road, making the junction unsafe for them as well."