Scrutinising the Mayor articles

Round Table discussions at London Chinese Community Centre

Lib Dem London Assembly leader Caroline Pidgeon joined mayoral candidate Brian Paddick to visit London's Chinese Community Centre in Gerrard Street, Soho. The community centre was as usual bustling with activities, from Chinese musical instrument lessons, to a calligraphy and brush painting class under the stewardship of their Chair, Christine Yau, who had kindly facilitated the visit.

Merlene Emerson, Chair of Chinese Lib Dems, had brought together a number of community leaders and experts for a round-table discussion to understand the issues facing the community. Nikki Li, Chinese Team Leader of the grass roots organisation, Citizens UK, shared about their campaigns such as that to stop the proliferation of gambling outlets in Chinatown, as well as their work across London for safer streets and the right to a living wage.

30 November 2011 - 9:50pm

Caroline launches 2012 campaign in Harrow

London Liberal Democrat leader Caroline Pidgeon promised "to campaign against cuts to policing and tackle overcrowding on London's transport network" as she launched the Lib Dem London Assembly election campaign at a social club in Harrow.

Caroline outlined Lib Dem policy on:

  • Cycling safety: stopping plans to expand the Mayor’s cycle super-highways until they have been fully reviewed and all dangerous junctions made safe.

30 November 2011 - 9:38pm

"Wave and pay" plans for London transport are unconvincing

Watch the video to the right to hear Caroline discuss the future of ticketing.

In a report published, today the London Assembly's transport committee has warned of the risks with TfL's plans to adopt "wave and pay" bank card technology on London's transport network.

The new system is expected to be up and running on all of London's 8000 buses in time for the 2012 Olympic Games, and rolled out onto the Tube, DLR, Tram and London Overground network before the end of 2012 - but the committee's report describes this plan as "unconvincing" and highlights issues around data security, the costs of the scheme, and its impact on the 20% of Londoners without access to credit or debit cards.

18 November 2011 - 5:37pm

Mayor's Question Time - complacency on cycle safety continues

The Arts London website and the Camden New Journal report on Mayor's Question Time this week - with Boris Johnson failing to commit to concrete action on cycling safety.

Caroline Pidgeon challenged Boris Johnson:

You've said you will personally look at cyclist fatalities but do you regret that at last week's TfL board not one board member raised the issue of the two recent tragic deaths on London's roads, and challenged TfL or Mr Hendy as to what TfL is doing to make the roads safer?

18 November 2011 - 11:22am

Mayor must urgently listen to cyclists on danger junctions

Commenting following the tragic death of a cyclist on a cycle superhighway in Bow - the 15th cycling death in London this year - Caroline Pidgeon said:

"With London roads seeing a 50 per cent increase in cycle deaths this year it is time the Mayor accepted the need to urgently examine the design of London's most dangerous junctions.

"Instead of lecturing people about cycling the Mayor must start to listen to the concerns of cyclists."

Caroline, along with Simon Hughes MP, and Lib Dem London Assembly candidate for Lambeth and Southwark, Rob Blackie, joined several hundred local cyclists on a bike ride around London's ten most dangerous junctions, to raise awareness of cycle safety issues and protest at TfL's lack of progress in safeguarding cyclists and pedestrians.

12 November 2011 - 5:50pm

We still have a long way to go to make streets safe for cyclists

Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the Mayor’s reply to her questions about cycle safety and TfL’s limited proposals that were announced today to improve conditions for London cyclists, said:

“The harsh fact is that 14 cyclists have already died on London’s roads this year compared to 10 last year. These figures speak for themselves about the need for urgent action.

“Today’s measures announced by TfL are therefore welcome, but there is still much more that must be done to ensure London’s roads are far safer for cyclists.

10 November 2011 - 11:16pm

Metal theft costs £1bn a year and causes severe transport disruption

The London Assembly has unanimously backed Caroline Pidgeon's motion calling for cash payments for scrap metal to be outlawed - alongside the introduction of tougher penalties for metal and cable theft - to help end the increasing disruption and distress thieves are causing.

Proposing the motion, Caroline said:
“The theft of metal is costing the economy around a billion pounds and causing serious disruption to passengers – and it’s getting worse.

10 November 2011 - 11:15pm

Mayor and TfL have learned nothing on Remembrance Sunday closures

Speaking to the Evening Standard about the news that - in a repeat of what happened in 2010 - there will be extensive tube closures on Remembrance Sunday, Caroline Pidgeon commented:

It is simply staggering that the Mayor and TfL have failed to learn any lessons from the mistakes made last year when so much of the tube and London transport was closed or disrupted on Remembrance Sunday. If there is one weekend of the year when getting around London should not be hit by closures and partial closures surely it is this weekend.

4 November 2011 - 8:36pm

Make cycling safe: enough is enough

Caroline Pidgeon wrote this article in the 28th October 2011 edition of Lib Dem News:

Min Joo Lee is probably not a name you will recognise. However the death of this 24-year Korean fashion student could well be starting a revolution in cycling in London and possibly further afield.

Incredibly she is the 13th person to die on London’s roads this year. In 2010 there were “just” 10 deaths. When this year’s death toll for cyclists already surpasses the figure for the last year, we should all be very worried.

31 October 2011 - 9:36pm

Costs and benefits of lane rental must be weighed up

In a new report, the London Assembly Transport Committee has cautioned that plans to charge for lane rental to regulate roadworks on the capital’s streets may have consequences for Londoners – including higher utility bills - that must be addressed before any schemes are introduced.

In its response to both the Government’s and Transport for London’s (TfL) lane rental consultation, the London Assembly Transport Committee calls for a more detailed assessment of the benefits and costs of lane rental to ensure it is suitable for tackling road congestion long-term.

28 October 2011 - 9:52am

Pages

Subscribe to Scrutinising the Mayor articles