Transport articles

Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group and Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, commenting on today’s announcement that next Summer there will be more than 2,000 extra train services serving London during the Olympic Games and an additional 1,500 extra services during the Paralympic Games said

“It is incredibly welcome that nearly 4,000 additional train services will run during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Caroline Pidgeon AM joined Oval Lib Dem Cllr Ishbel Brown and Streatham Cllr Jeremy Clyne visiting the exhibition for the proposed Northern Line extension from Kennington to Battersea Power Station via Vauxhall Nine Elms.

“The exhibition showed the planned route but still left many questions unanswered and meant residents were very concerned about the impact on their homes and during the construction. I was pleased to hear that residents in Kennington – both Southwark and Lambeth - will have a further exhibition explaining details of the proposals for construction shafts which could cause real disruption to local people” commented Caroline.

Caroline Pidgeon is calling for a review to be undertaken of the cycling restrictions that exist across London's Royal Parks.

At present cycling is severely restricted in most of London's Royal Parks (see the extensive restrictions here) - especially in Regent's Park, where cycling is only permitted on the northern section of the Broad Walk, between Chester Road and Outer Circle. Incredibly, such restrictions exist despite the provision in the park of docking stations for the Transport for London's bike hire scheme!

Commenting on the current situation, Caroline said:

"Pedestrians should always have first priority when it comes to pavements, and it is absolutely vital we curb the menace of the small minority of cyclists that ride on pavements on London's streets. However parks are a totally different matter!

The London Cycling Campaign took their campaign for safer roads directly to City Hall this week. Their petition calling for local councils across London to provide cyclist awareness training for lorry drivers, was jointly presented to Caroline Pidgeon and London Assembly Members representing all the other main political parties. The LCC petition, which has more than 10,000 signatures, has now been sent onto the Mayor of London.

Commenting on the need to make London's roads safer for cyclists, Caroline said:
"Cycling in London needs to be made far safer. More than one cyclist a month dies on London's roads - that is a shocking figure and is unacceptable."