Cyclists' website road.cc reports on statistics - produced in answer to a question from London Assembly Lib Dem leader Caroline Pidgeon - showing that Christmas Day saw a peak in the use of the cycle hire scheme, with 3,768 journeys made.
Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on figures published today by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and TfL showing that more than two million journeys a week are now being made using Oyster Pay As You Go on London’s commuter rail services, said:
“While celebrating the increased take up of Oyster on rail travel both the Mayor and the train operating companies are ignoring the fact that too many train users are being ripped off by being overcharged when they use Oyster Pay As You Go.
On the first day of reduced ticket office opening hours affecting commuters across London, Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commented:
"In 2008 Boris Johnson promised in his election manifesto to keep ticket offices on the Tube network open. Now in 2011 he is closing the very offices he promised to save. The reduction in opening hours means that ticket offices are now effectively closed for many people. Is that really offering passengers a better service?"
The total level of unpaid Congestion Charge by embassies based in London will soar through the £50 million figure this month predicts Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group.
At the start of the year £48.7 million was owed to Londoners by embassies. Transport for London (TfL) have now confirmed that as of yesterday the figure had reached £49.4 million and that later this month the total unpaid bill will exceed £50 million.
Caroline Pidgeon commented:
“The amount in unpaid Congestion Charges and Penalty Charge Notices owed by embassies is now so large that it could pay for more than 260 new buses on London’s streets, or fund the significant expansion of the cycle hire scheme, or alternatively reduce fare rises.
“It is disgraceful that £50 million is now being denied to Londoners by embassies that dodge paying the Congestion Charge. The small minority of embassies that think it is acceptable to evade paying the Congestion Charge are insulting each and every Londoner.
The London SE1 website has an article on the Mayor's admission - when questioned by Caroline Pidgeon - that he has suspended plans for a "Blue Light Museum" honouring the history of London's emergency services, which would combine the collections of the Fire Brigade Museum in Southwark, the London Ambulance Service's museum in Ilford, and possibly the police's Black Museum in Scotland Yard.
