Transport articles

Urgent action needed to prevent Olympic travel chaos

9 June 2012 - 12:46am — Administrator

Talking to the Evening Standard after several days plagued by Tube line suspensions, Caroline Pidgeon said:

"It is bad enough that there were even planned Tube closures over these last few special days.

"However last night's suspensions on three more Tube lines were a dampener to the weekend and Bank Holidays matched only by the weather."

"With just 50 days to go to the start of the Olympics we need far clearer assurances from the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) that the Games will not be disrupted by this type of repeated Tube chaos."

You can read the full story here in the Evening Standard. And read more at The Week.

Mayor needs to provide answers about Wi-Fi deal

1 June 2012 - 11:24pm — Administrator

Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the first London Underground stations named for WiFi service, this Summer said:

"Provision of Wi-Fi at a few London Underground stations this Summer is welcome, but the key issue is how long it will actually be free for most passengers.

"It is time the Mayor provided far more information about the commercial deal that he has entered into with Virgin Media."

The Mayor of London has so far refused to answer a number of key questions about the commercial contract with Virgin Media (examples here, here, here and here).

Explosive threat confirms the folly of "Boris Island" airport plans

30 May 2012 - 11:10pm — Administrator

Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the Department of Transport’s report into the survey carried out on the SS Richard Montgomery ship which was wrecked with 1,400 tons of TNT explosives inside it, and is located near to where the proposed ‘Boris Island’ airport would be situated, said:

“The threat of this cargo ship being blown sky high by any construction work needed for an airport in this location is a risk not worth taking. The devastation and chaos caused by an explosion would be immense.

TfL backs Olympic homeworking...except for its own staff

30 May 2012 - 11:07pm — Administrator

Caroline Pidgeon features in a BBC London report on the news the TfL is heavily encouraging Londoners to work from home during the Olympics... but demanding that its own backroom staff come to the office.

Caroline told the BBC:

Greenwich to be a flagship for cycle-friendly spaces

30 May 2012 - 10:52pm — Administrator

Greenwich Lib Dem Chris Smith writes on his blog to welcome the news that - after questioning from Caroline Pidgeon in the London Assembly last week - the Mayor has identified Greenwich, Vauxhall Cross and Croydon as pilot areas for new combined cycle and pedestrian spaces which will be separated from motor traffic. The London Cycling Campaign has been strongly making the case for this in its "Love London, Go Dutch" campaign.

You can read Chris's full article here.

The Mayor's new Routemasters - an expensive project that doesn't meet its promises

30 May 2012 - 10:44pm — Administrator

Commenting on the news that the project to deliver "new Routemaster" buses will have put only four new buses on the streets by the end of May, Caroline Pidgeon told the Evening Standard:

"The Mayor has repeatedly made misleading claims about the new London bus. Initially he claimed that the research and development costs would be picked up privately, but we soon discovered that it would be taxpayers who would foot the massive bill.

"The starting date for the first bus operating on London's roads was then delayed. Now we find out that the repeated promise of eight of these buses operating in London by the end of May is set to be broken as well.

"It is time Boris Johnson stopped writing newspaper columns about the new London bus and instead gave clear answers about why this expensive project is not matching the promises he has made to Londoners."

Read the full story in the Evening Standard.

Mayor makes a poor start on cycle safety

23 May 2012 - 10:50pm — Administrator

Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the Mayor’s response to her questions about his plans to implement the three key policies of the London Cycling Campaign’s Love London, Go Dutch campaign, said:

“The Mayor might have signed up to the London Cycling Campaign Love London, Go Dutch campaign but there is a huge gap between his pledge and actual delivery on the ground.

Delay to Wave And Pay - now make it work from day one

23 May 2012 - 10:47pm — Administrator

Talking to the Evening Standard about the news that Transport for London has delayed the introduction of "wave and pay" facilities for credit and debit cards on the Tube, Caroline Pidgeon commented:

“No one is against new technology but the delayed start of Wave and Pay is a great opportunity to ensure the new technology works properly from day one of its introduction.

“At the same time the Mayor and TfL must ensure that whenever it starts people who decide to stick with Oyster ‘pay as you go’ don’t get penalised with higher fares.”

TfL are still in denial over Oyster overcharging

18 May 2012 - 11:08pm — Administrator

Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group and chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, commenting on new proposals from Transport for London to allow Oyster card users to check their accounts online and to allow Oyster customers to submit refund applications online, said:

“These improvements are welcome and indeed long overdue. Last year alone passengers using Oyster Pay As You Go were wrongly charged maximum fares totalling over £66 million.

The Olympics - a chance to embrace imaginative flexible working

18 May 2012 - 10:59pm — Administrator

Writing for the London Loves Business website, Caroline Pidgeon points to the opportunities the Olympics provide for fresh thinking about flexible working - which could have a lasting impact on making London a better place to live and work.

Caroline says:

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