The Romford Recorder reports on the failure of TfL's Dial-a-Ride service to meet elderly and disabled residents' needs in Havering.
Caroline is quoted saying:
It is time that Boris Johnson stopped making excuses over Dial-a-Ride and instead honestly admit that its service falls a long way short of what is necessary for some of the most vulnerable people in London.
Disabled and elderly people across the whole of London have faced a growing number of refused trips from Transport for London’s Dial-a-Ride service.
Following extensive questioning by Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, the Mayor has been forced to release figures showing that over the last two years there has been more than a 50% increase in the number of trips refused to disabled and elderly people who rely on the Dial-a-Ride service.
Commenting on the figures, Caroline Pidgeon said:
“Three years ago Transport for London promised disabled Londoners a far better deal from Dial-a-Ride. They specifically promised that the number of refused trips would halve in just two years. Yet instead of falling the number of refused trips have actually gone up by more than 50%. It is simply appalling every day of the year more than 400 trips are now refused to Dial-a-Ride users.
Caroline Pidgeon joined other Assembly members from the Transport Committee for a tour around the congested shopping streets of Central London as part of a new investigation into Oxford Street congestion.
The investigation will be looking at the best ways to sort out the chronic traffic congestion that plagues the retail heart of London on Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street. The Transport Committee is examining current initiatives aimed at reducing congestion and establish what further action could be taken.
Caroline's questions for Boris Johnson in September's Mayor's Question Time session have now been published on the web.
Caroline raised a range of issues, including:
Local residents and Streatham Liberal Democrats are celebrating the news that the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) is planning to drop its plans to close Streatham Police station.
A panel of the MPA was set up last year to reconsider the controversial plans to close police stations across London following vocal protests from residents and Liberal Democrats across the capital. In Streatham local Liberal Democrats led by Parliamentary Spokesman Chris Nicholson collected a petition of more than 2000 signatures opposing the closure. The petition was presented to a meeting of the MPA last year which as a result decided to set up the panel to reconsider the plans. It is understood that the panel is now recommending that the MPA proceeds with the proposals in a few Boroughs where there was support for the plans but will drop the plans for Lambeth.