Caroline Pidgeon, the leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, has received further excuses from Transport for London about their controversial decision to remove seating from Bermondsey station.
Following questions to the Mayor of London it had already been confirmed that Transport for London have no plans to remove similar seating at Wood Lane tube station. Now this week Caroline has been informed that the decision to remove the seats at Bermondsey station was a decision by a sub-contractor to Tube Lines.
Commenting on the new development, Caroline Pidgeon said:
“The Bermondsey seat saga continues. The Mayor and Transport for London are being totally inconsistent in how they have dealt with this issue. They claim the initial seats were inaccessible at Bermondsey station, which is why they had to be suddenly removed, yet they are quite happy to leave exactly the same seats at the new Wood Lane tube station.
“Their further claim that the seats were not accessible simply doesn’t stack up. If it was necessary to provide arm rests for some of the seats this could easily have taken place – as the station’s architect has pointed out.
“Now it seems that the initial daft decision was made by a subcontractor of a company that was supposed to be working alongside London Underground.
“It is time that the Mayor and Transport for London simply put their hands up and admitted that a serious mistake has been made.
“Instead of excuses an apology is now needed.”