Transport articles

Traffic officers have been forced to do a last-minute rethink of plans for Streatham High Road following a protest by Liberal Democrat GLA member Caroline Pidgeon, supported by local Liberal Democrat councillors.

With work due to begin on Monday, it emerged that a plan to improve conditions for pedestrians by widening the pavement is instead going to narrow the pavement and make it more crowded.

Following a site meeting this week with Caroline and Lib Dem ward councillors, officers from Transport for London agreed to look again at their proposals.

Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, made an early morning visit to Addiscombe’s tram stop to take part in an extensive survey of tram users that local Croydon Liberal Democrats are now conducting.

Caroline was invited by Stephen Dering, the Liberal Democrat Croydon Central parliamentary candidate, to the launch of the survey, which started early this week. The survey is seeking to find out people’s views on a wide range of issues relating to the whole tram network.

Caroline, who is vice chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, said:
"This is an important survey. The views of tram users really matter. This survey is a key way of ensuring that concerns of tram users are heard by Transport for London and that improvements are made."

The harmful effects of the western extension of the congestion charging zone were seen at first hand by Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, on her recent visit to the Portobello area. The fact-finding visit was organised by local Liberal Democrat campaigner Carol Caruana, who was keen to update the London Assembly on the impact of the extension on local shops and market stallholders.

After the visit Caroline commented:
“For a long time I have been aware of the harmful effects of the congestion charge extension, however there is no substitute for seeing first hand the harmful impact it is having. Trader after trader told me how they lost business since the congestion charge was extended. The congestion charge extension could not end sooner for businesses in this area.

Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Transport Assembly spokesperson, commenting on Boris Johnson’s reply to her questioning about TfL bonus payments for senior managers, said:

“It is extremely disappointing that that the Mayor is not willing to give a firm commitment to curtail the bonus culture within TfL. The salaries and especially the bonus payments for senior TfL managers are excessive and it is time that they were drastically cut. Boris Johnson’s promise to merely ‘review’ the situation falls far short of what hard pressed passengers expect of the Mayor.