Scrutinising the Mayor articles

Three simple policies for fairer fares

This article originally appeared at Liberal Democrat Voice.

Last week Brian Paddick and I launched a fairer fares package ahead of this year’s London Mayoral and Assembly elections.

Boris Johnson has been Mayor of London since 2008. In just four years he has increased the cheapest bus fare from 90p to £1.35 – and he had planned to raise fares even further until the Coalition Government stepped in and helped limit the rise. As well as bus fares, the cost of travelling on the Tube, the Docklands Light Railway, the Croydon Tramlink and the London Overground have all soared under Mr Johnson’s mayoralty.

Of course there is the argument that investment in public transport has to be paid for by someone, and surely passengers have to pay their fair share? There is of course an element of truth in that. Yet accepting that there is still a need for investment to continue in the tube network, does that let Mayor Johnson off the hook? Of course not. There are realistic alternatives to his fare policies.

20 January 2012 - 9:34pm

Caroline Pidgeon and Brian Paddick call for communities to stand up to criminals

London Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate Brian Paddick today revealed how he would offer Londoners the chance to reclaim the streets from criminals and work with police to help reduce rising levels of crime.

Brian and his candidate for Deputy Mayor, London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon, spoke to residents in Vauxhall about a recent spate of muggings in the area and their concerns about safety in the community.

10 January 2012 - 11:02pm

Boris Johnson’s fare rises are hitting low income Londoners

Commenting on the Mayor's 2012 fare rises being introduced today, Brian Paddick, the Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate, said:

“Once again we start the year with another painful fare package from Boris Johnson. For the fourth year in a row he has racked up fares by far more than the rate of inflation.

“His latest rises will simply add to the financial problems of many Londoners - especially those on low incomes.

“Shamefully, bus fares have been hiked up the most by Boris Johnson despite buses being most heavily used by low income Londoners.”

4 January 2012 - 9:36pm

Olympic fleet of 4000 BMWs is against the spirit of the Games

Commenting on the news that 4000 BMW cars will be shipped in from Germany to transport officials during the Olympics, London Assembly Lib Dem leader Caroline Pidgeon said:

"As we were promised that the 2012 Games would be the greenest Olympics ever to take place, only electric vehicles should have been considered.

"Electric vehicles are not only quieter, but far less harmful to people’s lungs.

"The 2012 Games should have been a big boost to the growth of electric vehicles in the UK, but instead we have vehicles which merely add to London’s serious air pollution."

Read the full story here in the Daily Mail.

3 January 2012 - 8:09pm

Scrutinising the Mayor on cycling safety

2011 has seen far too many cycle accidents and deaths on our roads.

Caroline continues to campaign for safer roads for cyclists and pedestrians and her most recent questions to the Mayor which have been answered just before Christmas can be seen below.

For more information about cycling issues across London do also take a look at the excellent London Cycling Campaign website.

23 December 2011 - 9:07pm

Time has come for cheap early morning fares

Welcoming the Mayor's indications that he will finally consider fare reductions for journeys in the very early morning, Caroline Pidgeon - who has long argued for this - said:

"London's economy is reliant on an underpaid army of workers, from cleaners to security staff, who get to work before most people have even got out of bed.

"Now more than ever London's lowest paid workers need a helping hand and one small step would be to introduce lower fares for people who travel to work before the rush hour starts.

21 December 2011 - 11:33pm

Publish London’s most dangerous roads for cyclists

Speaking as the London Assembly voted for a motion asking TfL to publish details of London's most dangerous road junctions for cyclists, and to review how to make each one safe, Caroline Pidgeon said:

“Every death on our roads is a tragedy for the families concerned, but one which could be avoided by designing a better junction is a stain on our transport system. We owe it to all Londoners to ensure every sinew is strained to make cycling in London as safe and pleasant a way to travel as it can and should be.”

17 December 2011 - 6:50pm

Brian Paddick and Caroline Pidgeon listen to cyclists at King’s Cross

London Liberal Democrat Mayoral Candidate Brian Paddick and London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon visited a number of dangerous junctions around King’s Cross, and met with the Camden Cycling Campaign group to discuss cycle and pedestrian safety in the area. The meeting came just days after a cyclist was killed at Tower Bridge Road, bringing the number killed on London’s roads this year to 16.

9 December 2011 - 10:49pm

Fare cap shows that Mayor can't be trusted

Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on today’s announcement by the Chancellor George Osborne that fare rises on London's transport network will now be capped at 6.2% from 2012, a lower rate than that proposed by Boris Johnson, said:

“Any decision to overrule Boris Johnson’s excessive fare package is welcome, and will be particularly well received by those on the lowest incomes.

30 November 2011 - 9:53pm

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