Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the announcement that the Thames Cable Car will open from midday on Thursday 28th June said:
“It is welcome news that the Thames Cable Car will be open before the Olympic Games, as additional forms of transport will be helpful in dealing with the exceptional pressures the capital will face later this Summer, and help spectators travel between the Excel and O2 venues.
“However in the long term it is clear that the Thames Cable Car will not be an integral part of London’s public transport. For example why should local people with a Zone 3 weekly, monthly or yearly travelcard be charged for using this service? And how many people are really going to use this service as opposed to their normal mode of transport?
“Boris Johnson needs to come clean and explain just how much the cable car will be costing London's taxpayers. Two years ago he misled Londoners by claiming it would not cost a penny of public money, yet in reality millions of public money has poured into the project with the final figure facing taxpayers still not clear.”
Today, after questioning the Mayor in the London Assembly to seek his assurance that in case of tube disruption during the 2012 Games, spectators will be able to use the new cable car crossing as an alternative route to get to Olympic venues without being charged any extra in fares, Caroline said:
“There is a long established practice that if one transport service is disrupted people with valid tickets are allowed to use alternative forms of transport at no extra cost.
“Every spectator for an Olympic event will have a daily travelcard, and it is only right that if the Jubilee Line, Central Line or DLR are disrupted that they are allowed to make alternative journeys to get to venues via the cable car, at no extra cost. If we have disruption during the Games, spectators must not be out of pocket just to get to their Olympic event.”
“Today Boris Johnson seemed to suggest that this might be a possibility. He now needs to confirm that this is definitely the case.”
You can read more here on the Mayorwatch website, at London Reconnections, at Diamond Geezer and at the Greenwich local 853 blog.