London-wide + Kingston stories

London Underground ticket offices facing savage reduction of 7458 hours every week

Research by Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, has revealed London Underground are planning to close ticket offices across the underground by 7458 hours every week.

Responding to London Underground’s defence of the reduced hours and their repeated claim that all tube stations with a ticket office will continue to have one, Caroline Pidgeon said:

“London Underground and the Mayor are playing with words when they keep peddling the claim that no ticket office will actually close. The harsh reality is that if you can’t access a ticket office for most hours of the day it is effectively closed.

“Ticket office staff carry out many tasks to help customers, with their duties going far beyond just serving tickets. If staff numbers are severely reduced at 9 out of 10 stations it will become far more difficult for staff to help disabled and vulnerable customers and other people who need assistance including visitors.

“London Underground's simplistic portrayal of many ticket offices being quiet places where few tickets are actually sold overlooks the vital service and safety that staffed ticket offices provide. If the plans were to allow ticket office staff to go in and out of the office, depending on the needs at a station, and without a reduction in staff numbers that would help to improve customer services. But to simply cut ticket office hours and take away so many frontline staff makes no sense. In the end it is passengers who will lose out.”

Mayor must be open about plans for 2011 fare rises

Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group and Deputy Chair of the London Assembly's Transport Committee, commenting on the publication today of July’s inflation rate which is used as the basis for setting fares on London's transport network for the next year, said:

“Although the slight easing in the UK inflation rate for July is welcome I am seriously concerned that the Mayor of London could use this figure to hike up fares on London transport next year.

Bike hire scheme is tremendous - but Boris and Ken should be honest

In an article for the Liberal Democrat Voice website, Caroline Pidgeon warmly welcomes the new London bike hire scheme as a "tremendous idea", while pointing out that Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone are eager to take more credit for it then they deserve:

Despite its launch being associated with quite a number of problems – including a highly complex registration process, and a number of cyclists being overcharged – no one can deny that the scheme is proving incredibly popular. And let’s be realistic, no major scheme ever starts without at least some minor teething problems. Of course I will be chasing hard until these glitches are resolved, and they certainly must be, but the bottom line is that the bike hire scheme is a tremendous idea. Especially if the scheme is expanded it has the potential to help reduce congestion and pollution as well as making it easier for Londoners, visitors and tourists to get around the capital at very little cost. Most significantly it could play a vital role in transforming the status of cycling...

All new bus countdown signs in Kingston

Caroline hosted a meeting with officers from TfL and Kingston Council along with Cllr Simon James, Executive Member for Transport at Kingston to discuss the plans for countdown signs in the Borough.

TfL is currently upgrading all signs to new technology which will allow real time information to mobile phones and online as well as at information signs at bus stops.

The current plans show the same number of signs per borough as the current system but at different locations. This could lead to areas such as Malden and Combe seeing half of their signs removed, even though it is the most populated area in Kingston. Discussion also took place on particular issues at Cromwell Road Bus Garage, where there are currently three countdown signs. TfL is looking at a solution to have all of the information in one sign.

"I was glad to bring everyone together for a frank discussion about the criteria for these signs and to find a way forward. TfL has agreed to review some of the signs and data and Kingston may also look at how they can buy some additional signs" commented Caroline Pidgeon AM.

Poorest children in London must not be penalised by new Oyster fees

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Leader and transport spokesperson, commenting on the Mayor’s plans to introduce a one-off £10 fee for Zip Card concessionary travel for children, teenagers and students, said:

”I understand that TfL have to look at cost savings but any change needs to be fair. Given that two fifths of children across London live in poverty TfL should exempt this charge to children and young people who are entitled to free school meals."

The MayorWatch website covers the story here.

Are plans to get Londoners walking on the right track?

The Mayor has declared his intention to make 2011 the ‘year of walking’ and allocated millions of pounds to the cause, but will his proposals see more Londoners making their journeys on foot?

Caroline Pidgeon AM will lead an investigation on behalf of the Assembly’s Transport Committee to assess the effectiveness of current plans to get people walking and look at what more could be done.

Almost a quarter of all journeys in the capital are made on foot – nearly 6 million trips every day – making up nearly a third of the total time Londoners spend travelling. The Mayor’s Transport Strategy states that he wants to see the share of all journeys made on foot increase to 25 per cent by 2031 – an extra million journeys a day.

To help meet this target, the Mayor and Transport for London have allocated over £200 million over the next three years to ‘Better Streets’ - which includes schemes ranging from de-cluttering streets to pedestrianisation - and ‘Better Green and Water Spaces’ to improve access to London’s parks, rivers and canals.

Caroline Pidgeon AM said:
“The Mayor wants 2011 to be the ‘year of walking’ but to encourage more Londoners to make their journeys on foot he will have to carefully tailor his proposals and investment.

Mayor's cuts to Tube ticket offices - "an absolute sham of a consultation"

Caroline Pidgeon, commenting to the Evening Standard, has sharply criticised the Mayor's plans to drastically reduce ticket office services at Tube stations, costing up to 450 jobs and leaving many stations with ticket office staffing for most of the day.

Caroline said:

The Mayor was elected on a clear commitment to keep ticket offices open. His plans to have many closed for most of the day flies in the face of his election commitment. This is an absolute sham of a consultation. If the Mayor really thinks he is consulting Londoners he obviously needs to look up what the word actually means in the dictionary.

You can read the full story at the Evening Standard here.

Caroline chairs World Sickle Cell Day event

Caroline Pidgeon AM chaired a special Sickle Cell Society event to celebrate World Sickle Cell Day on Friday 18th June.

Held near Westminster, the event had a number of superb speakers talking about the development of awareness of Sickle Cell and services for those with the condition, as well as hearing about the work of the Sickle Cell Society.

“I was honoured to be able to help out by chairing this important event. The work of the Sickle Cell Society is very important in raising awareness of this condition that affects many Londoners” added Caroline.

Photo: Caroline Pidgeon AM with Dr Philip Nortey and other members of the Sickle Cell Society at the celebrations

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