Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson and Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, commenting on TfL's latest research on the use of countdown facilities, said:
“Instead of focusing on headline grabbing ideas the Mayor should concentrate on ensuring existing crossings meet current safety standards. Pedestrians should not feel they are taking their lives into their own hands just to cross the road.
“Across London there are over 400 pedestrian crossings that fail to provide sufficient time to cross the road. These crossings are breaching national safety guidance yet the Mayor is totally complacent over putting them right. Boris Johnson’s repeated claim that he is happy to wait until 2012 to improve many of these crossings is a total disgrace.
"Countdown facilities at pedestrian crossings might have a role to play but why can't the Mayor just concentrate on first getting the basic details right?
"The number one priority for the Mayor must be to ensure each and every pedestrian crossing in London provides sufficient time for pedestrians to safely cross.”