Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Committee chair Caroline Pidgeon joined Lewisham Lib Dem councillors, and local campaigners from the Forest Hill Society, to present a petition to the Department for Transport calling for cuts to their train services to be reversed.
Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon and Councillor Ed Butcher, Lib Dem Fire Leader, walked out of today’s budget meeting of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA). This was in protest at the decision of the Tories prohibiting the filming of the disgraced Councillor, Bertha Joseph, who was present and voting for the half billion pound budget.
Caroline Pidgeon commented:
“The Tories want to hide their shameful secret from the public that today’s Budget was passed due to the support of Councillor Joseph – someone who has been found guilty of serious wrongdoing and is unable to act as a councillor in her own borough.
“This is simply wrong and the Liberal Democrats want no part of this. It brings the Authority and the Mayor into disrepute.
“It is time that the Mayor took decisive action and sacked Bertha Joseph.”
The Mayor has been urged to deliver on his pledge to Londoners to extend the tube’s opening hours on Friday and Saturday nights, starting with the Jubilee Line, at today’s Mayor’s Question Time (Wednesday 17th March).
Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, reminded the Mayor of his specific election pledge to extend the opening hours of the whole tube network for one hour later on both Friday and Saturday nights.
Speaking after her question to the Mayor she said:
“The Mayor was elected promising to extend the opening hours of the whole tube network. It is now time he honoured his pledge, starting with the Jubilee Line, where the upgrade works be completed this year.
“Everyone who uses this line has already faced months of inconvenience and many traders that rely on weekend and evening business have been hit for six. If there is one line that deserves to benefit from longer hours it must be the Jubilee Line.
Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, commenting on the final ruling on the cost of the second phase of Tube Lines contract upgrading the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, said:
“This announcement signals the need for a complete review of how the tube is upgraded.
“A serious look is needed into short block closures of a few stations, where the upgrade work is completed over a few weeks.”
Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport spokesperson, commenting on London Underground's plans to reduce the opening hours of a number of tickets offices, said:
"Boris Johnson was elected promising to defend ticket offices and stop any planned closures that the previous Mayor was proposing across the London Underground network. Today's announcement is a breathtaking breach of that key commitment he made to Londoners. It's a complete U-turn.