In the news articles

Shoplifting epidemic is now out of hand

As the cost of shoplifting in London over 2023 was estimated at £110m, Caroline Pidgeon stressed the need for the Metropolitan Police to go "back to the basics" and invest in community policing.

Caroline said:

“The increase in shoplifting across London is unacceptable.

"The Met Commissioner and Sadiq Khan need to get to grips with a problem that is quickly becoming endemic. The fact that the rate of shoplifting has risen so much in London compared to the rest of the country is a real concern.

The Elizabeth line needs urgent improvements by Network Rail

Caroline Pidgeon has pressed the Mayor for answers about the chaos on the Elizabeth line on 7 December, where hundreds of passengers were left stranded in trains after a power outage, and had to wait up to five hours to be evacuated.

Caroline said:

"We urgently need Network Rail to carry out the necessary infrastructure improvements in West London to prevent further delays and disruptions to the Elizabeth Line.

"Customers' faith in the line has already been undermined by repeated disruptions."

Dirty buses show the Mayor isn't as green as he pretends to be

Caroline Pidgeon has criticised Sadiq Khan for running the Superloop bus services using the polluting 'Boris buses'.

Caroline said:

“This is yet another example where the Mayor has pretended to be greener than he actually is, allowing older more polluting buses to operate in Outer London despite his pledge to clean up the region’s air with ULEZ. The Superloop should be using zero-emission buses throughout."

Government's short-termism on transport harms London and the whole country

Speaking to ITV News, Caroline Pidgeon criticised the short-term approach of the Government to London transport, with inadequate funding deals that result in slower and ultimately more expensive projects.

Caroline said:

"The UK Conservative Government has once again failed to adequately invest in the future of London's public transport.

Action is needed on soaring Tube crime

On the BBC's Politics London show, Caroline Pidgeon discussed the worrying rise in crime on the Tube.

Caroline and the London Liberal Democrats are calling for:

  • More visible British Transport Police
  • Better and more widespread CCTV on the network
  • A public awareness campaign
  • High profile prosecutions for hate crimes

The Met Police must not ignore the shoplifiting epidemic

The Met attended only 38% of calls about shoplifting during the last year, according to data obtained by the Liberal Democrats.

While the data from the first few months of this year shows a slight improvement, the force is still attending to less than half of calls. The data comes on the back of numerous businesses struggling to cope with a rising tide of shoplifting across London and the whole of the UK.

Superloop buses should run at night

Caroline Pidgeon has pressed the Mayor to make the Superloop express bus service run through the night, stressing the benefits for the night-time economy, for women's safety, and for shift workers.

Caroline said:

"Having decent transport options at night is important for nightlife, and the night-time economy as a whole, and shift workers. It also has a direct impact on women's safety and their confidence to go out late at night.

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