Caroline's news

In this video, Caroline Pidgeon explains the London Assembly Transport Committee's work to ensure passengers will get the best possible service from new investment in the tube.

Pedestrians on Oxford street are reduced to shuffling along overcrowded pavements, while hundreds of buses an hour inch forward at an average of 4mph, according to a new report from the London Assembly Transport Committee.

The report, ‘Streets ahead: Relieving congestion on Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street’, notes that despite its phenomenal popularity with shoppers, the area continues to be divided by a "slow-moving procession of buses and taxis". On average the area suffers an accident involving a bus every 3.4 days - and air quality in the area, already the worst in London, is on track to be the worst in the UK by 2015

At the heart of the problem is the conflict between the need to provide a pleasant shopping and leisure environment, and meeting the demand for transport links through the West End. And various schemes to reduce traffic congestion and improve the pedestrian experience in one of the world’s premier shopping destinations may not be enough, says the report, calling for more radical thinking.

On Thursday 28th January Caroline went on a visit to look at the new East London Line Extension works and to view the extension of the Docklands Light Railway.

Caroline visited New Cross Gate Depot and saw the new trains for the line, as well as looking at the new station and works at Shoreditch.

The DLR visit included a trip out to Stratford and down to Woolwich via City Airport.

“The extension of the DLR and the works on the new East London Line were very impressive and it is great to see so much investment going into public transport. I can’t wait for the East London Line to reopen” said Lib Dem Caroline Pidgeon.

Following on from the huge success of the Fun Day in Pasley Park last summer, a new "Friends of Pasley Park" group has been formed.

The Fun Day celebrated 175 years of the original Surrey Zoological Gardens in West Walworth. The historic gardens consisted of a zoo that rivalled Regents Park, wonderful gardens and a lake around which many amazing shows took place. It was also the first place in the country where giraffes roamed!

“The summer event was just like a village fete and we were delighted to have helped raise the funds needed to put on such a great day. From the giant animals made by the children to the Victorian fun fair and walks, there was something for all the family to enjoy” commented Lib Dem Cllr James Gurling.

For many years, Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes and Lib Dem Councillors have been campaigning for improvements in the Kennington area, particularly around the tube station.

This area can all too often seem forgotten as it sits on the boundary between Lambeth and Southwark, with Transport for London in charge of Kennington Park Road.

For many people this area is the gateway to Southwark, and yet the environment around the tube station is not welcoming enough.

Your Lib Dem Team have launched a five point action plan calling for:

1. Improvements to the pavements;
2. More secure cycle parking
3. Better street lights
4. Improvements to the road surface for all road users particularly cyclists; and
5. Kennington Tube Station to be re-zoned from Zone 2 to a boundary 1/2 station.