Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group and Chair of the London Assembly’s Transport Committee, joined campaigners in Croydon on Saturday 16th March, calling for a 20mph speed limit to be introduced on the borough’s residential roads.
The London Assembly today urged Mayor Boris Johnson to halt his plans to dilute police Safer Neighbourhood Teams and recklessly close police front counters across London.
The Assembly's motion calls on the Mayor to retain the existing neighbourhood policing model of a dedicated sergeant, supported by two Constables and three Police Community Support Officers, allocated to each ward in London.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, who seconded the motion, said:
“Londoners value their local police stations and the local, recognisable police teams dedicated to serving their ward. Shutting up cop shops to public access and destroying the local policing model risks setting policing back more than a decade and separating the police from their communities.”
Caroline Pidgeon AM, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the Mayor’s response today to her questions about the future of Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs) across London, where he failed to recognise that there would be a reduction in dedicated police officers for each safer neighbourhood team, said:
“The Mayor should come clean with Londoners and admit that he is decimating the current and successful model for safer neighbourhood teams.
Caroline joined our candidate Marisha Ray campaigning in Croydon North in the parliamentary by-election on 29th November.
Caroline and the team knocked on doors talking to local residents about concerns such as policing, transport and the environment.
Brian Paddick and Caroline Pidgeon put their support behind the Upper Norwood Library at a mini rally on 1st May.
The team looked around the library and talked to the strong campaign group who are campaigning to save the library as Conservative run Croydon Council is looking to pull out its funding.
The library is just where 5 boroughs meet and is used by huge numbers of local people in the Crystal Palace/Upper Norwood area.
Caroline Pidgeon joined Sarah Ludford MEP, Tom Brake MP and Brian Paddick out and about campaigning in Croydon and Sutton on Saturday as part of a big action day in London. The team were joined by Liberal Youth and carried out a residents’ survey in areas such as Waddon.
“The sun shone and we had a really welcoming response form local residents,” commented Caroline.
Commenting on the introduction of six new trams in Croydon - when Boris Johnson had promised ten - Caroline Pidgeon said:
“Instead of visiting Croydon and boasting about six new trams the Mayor should now come clean and explain why he has broken his pledge to deliver 10 new trams.
“Once again we see a huge difference between what Boris Johnson promises and what he actually delivers.”
You can read more here at the Mayorwatch website.
The Inside Croydon blog reports that - as discovered from figures that Caroline Pidgeon forced Transport for London to publish - seven pedestrian crossings in the borough do not meet the minimum requirements for visually impaired people to be safe:
Writing for the London24 website, Caroline Pidgeon addresses what needs to be done to make cycling in London safe:
Firstly, we must recognise that the primary cause of cycle fatalities is lorries colliding with cyclists.
The Mayor has announced some limited proposals, including training advice for cyclists, but it is only a start.
The London Assembly Transport Committee has published a report in response to TfL’s new proposals on transport accessibility, showing that step-free access and other accessibility measures fall far short of the growing need for them, with half of bus stops, two thirds of rail stations, and three quarters of tube stations, not fully accessible to people with limited mobility.
The report argues for a range of measures, including low-cost steps such as allowing manual ramps, upgrading pedestrian crossings, providing better training for bus drivers, and improving online and paper maps.