Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member, commenting on the Mayor's announcement that he is starting a new Violence Reduction Unit of specialists in health, police and local government to deliver a public health approach to tackling the causes of violent crime, said:
“This initiative is welcome and should have been adopted long ago.
In September's Mayor's Question Time, Caroline questioned the Mayor on his efforts to ensure London's most dangerous junctions are made safe.
As the news came in that Crossrail services will not launch in December 2018, and will be postponed until autumn 2019, Caroline Pidgeon, chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, said:
"It is disappointing that the decision to delay the launch of Crossrail has been announced at such late notice. It is scarcely believable that the Mayor, TfL and Crossrail did not know of a likely delay a long time ago and chose not to let Londoners know sooner.
In June's Mayor's Question Time, Caroline again urged the Mayor to commit to consulting on significant changes to bus frequency. It is vital that the voices of the communities these changes affect are heard.
Sadiq Khan’s past promise that he will deliver a substantial tree planting programme for the whole of London is being broken, with his answers to Caroline Pidgeon's questions revealing that Transport for London (TfL) no longer even has a dedicated budget for tree planting along its extensive road network.
The new policy of TfL is in complete contrast to previous years, when hundreds of trees each year were replaced and new trees planted along TfL’s extensive road network.
Caroline Pidgeon has given her strong support to the motion the London Assembly passed, calling for the Mayor to ensure the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street goes ahead, using his emergency powers if needed to overrule Westminster council.
Caroline Pidgeon has challenged Sadiq Khan to take a seat on Transport for London's remuneration committee and take ownership of preventing issues like the £50m spent on severance payments to departing staff last year.
Unlike the previous mayors, he has refused to join the committee.
Caroline said:
“The mayor of London is ultimately in charge of Transport for London yet Sadiq Khan has adopted a strange trick of distancing himself from the organisation when it conveniently suits his political needs.
Caroline Pidgeon's questioning of the Mayor has revealed that the long-awaited launch of electric trains on the Gospel Oak to Barking Overground route has been delayed yet again.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member, commenting on the severance payments set out in TfL’s Annual Report, and the decision of the Mayor of London to commission a review into notice periods and severance arrangements for senior staff across the GLA Group, said:
"Passengers will find these huge severance payments galling at a time when Tube reliability has been in decline and many bus services are being cut back.
