Caroline's news

Commenting on Transport for London's secrecy about its advertising deal with CBS Media, London Assembly Lib Dem leader Caroline Pidgeon commented:
"The end of the legal dispute might seem welcome but the key issue is whether it has come at a high price to Londoners.

"Despite Boris Johnson being elected promising greater transparency about how public money is being spent, the reality is more and more deals at TfL are being done behind closed doors."

Read the full story here in the Evening Standard.

The Islington Gazette reports that - as revealed by Caroline Pidgeon's questioning of TfL - 17 pelican crossings in Islington are not safe for visually impaired people as they have no sound or rotating cones to indicate when it is safe to cross.

Caroline commented:
"It is a total disgrace that such basic safety standards are still not being met."

Read the full article here.

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.”

The South London Press reports on the overcharging suffered by many passengers who travelled from Blackheath station after the fireworks display on 5th November - when station staff taped over the card readers at the station.

Caroline commented:
"Many would be unaware they had been overcharged and, for those who were, the onus was on them to collect the overcharged amount.

"It beggars belief Southeastern merely taped over the Oyster readers leading to so many people being overcharged on their Oyster cards."

You can read the South London Press article here.

Figures obtained from TfL by Caroline Pidgeon have shown that several pedestrian crossings in Havering do not meet minimum safety standards - either because they do not have the required equipment to make them safe for blind and partially sighted people, or because the time to cross is too short for people with limited mobility.

The crossings are located at:

• Abbs Cross Lane/Hornchurch Road/High Street, Hornchurch
• Rom Valley Way/Rush Green Road (Roneo Corner)
• Oldchurch Road/Thurloe Gardens/South Street, Romford
• the A12 at Colchester Road/Whitelands Way
• Eastern Avenue/North Street/Havering Road, Romford