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 criticised Westminster Council's plans to go it alone with a watered-down plan for Oxford Street, rather than fully pedestrianising it.
Caroline said:
“For a long time Westminster City Council had a constructive working relationship with TfL. Suddenly they think that they alone can transform Oxford Street.
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 said:
"Oxford Street will quite frankly die as a global destination for shopping if it does not adapt.
Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member, commenting on the 15-year anniversary of Oyster said:
“There is no question that Oyster has been an incredible success. It has made travel more convenient and provided real flexibility for millions of people.
“It is now so established that it is hard to believe how we managed before its creation 15 years ago.
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.
As a number of fundamental issues remain unresolved with expansion, like noise and essential surface transport improvements, the London Assembly has agreed a unanimous motion asserting its opposition to the expansion of Heathrow Airport.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, who proposed the motion, said:
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.
Sadiq Khan has urged Greenwich Council ‘to do the right thing’ in relation to their controversial plans to give the go ahead to Enderby Wharf without any requirement to use non-polluting on-shore power.
