Campaigning articles

Caroline Pidgeon AM, the Liberal Democrats' transport spokesperson at the London Assembly, joined forces with colleagues in Haringey this week to help launch a campaign for residents to be able to use their pay-as-you-go Oyster cards on local trains.

On Wednesday Caroline met up with Lynne Featherstone MP and Alexandra by-election candidate Nigel Scott at Alexandra Palace station.

Liberal Democrats are campaigning for Transport for London (TfL) and First Capital Connect to extend pay-as-you-go Oyster card travel to Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace and Bowes Park stations.

Caroline says: “It's encouraging we've finally heard there's movements in the right direction on this but what we need now is a commitment on an exact time frame to ensure PAYG is introduced on this line as soon as possible."

Commenting on the revelation of a possible £2billion shortfall in the plans to upgrade three key tube lines Caroline Pidgeon, the transport spokesperson for the Liberal Democrat Group at the London Assembly, says: “This possible 'black hole' is something that can be laid directly at the feet of Gordon Brown.

“He was the Chancellor of the Exchequer who pushed through the ill-fated PPP project for London's Underground and that project has now cost London's hard pressed traveling public billions of pounds.

Over many months, Lib Dem Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon received serious complaints about the dial-a-ride services provided by Transport for London. On 3rd September Caroline met Paul Blackwell, General Manager of dial-a-ride, to discuss the many issues that had been raised by dial-a-ride users and to hear about what TfL are doing and have put in place to improve the service.

“It is quite clear that the centralisation of the service has caused huge problems, particularly in certain parts of London, and that their computer system has had real problems. I am trying to get to the bottom of how much the computer system has cost Londoners” commented Caroline.

“I have requested further statistics, going back as far as possible, so that I can really get a clear picture of the maximum length of time users are having to hold on the telephone before speaking to someone. We also need to know how often dial-a-ride are unable to provide a service.

Caroline Pidgeon AM, the Liberal Democrat deputy chair of the London Assembly’s transport committee, has made a fact finding visit to the now well-established Croydon Tramlink along with a delegation from the transport committee.

Caroline says: "We can learn a lot from the Croydon tram experience and this will ensure the Cross River Tram is even more successful."

Commenting on the plans for the new tram to link London across the river she says: