Caroline's news

Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson and Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, is pushing for a permanent solution to be found to the unsafe junction of Green Lane and High Road which has been plagued for a long time by overgrown shrubbery.

Caroline recently visited the junction at the request of Liberal Democrat Councillors Roger Giess and Julian Heather.

Caroline said:
“The problem with this corner is that the shrubbery keeps growing and makes the junction unsafe as it blocks the views for motorists turning into Green Lane from the High Road. At the same time pedestrians crossing Green Lane have a reduced view of cars turning into the road, making the junction unsafe for them as well."

Newington Lib Dem councillor Caroline Pidgeon is calling on Morrisons supermarket to remove a trolley park and railings which is obstructing the pavement outside its Walworth Road store.

The trolley park has recently been constructed without planning permission from Southwark Council. Cllr Pidgeon has written to the supermarket chain’s Chief Executive, asking for the trolley park to be removed before action is taken against it.

Boris Johnson's Transport for London bureaucrats have gone bonkers over Islington's hanging flower baskets and ordered that some of them must come down – for health and safety reasons.

In an extraordinary bit of red tape, Transport for London bosses have told Islington Council that the baskets pose a risk to pedestrians, buses and cars. The Council has had to check each lamp-post to see if it can take the "strain".

Council staff have now taken down ten of the offending baskets along Upper Street and Holloway Road.

Islington's Liberal Democrat council has put up a record number of flower baskets this year – over 1000 across the borough. Islington is representing London and the South East in this year's "Britain in Bloom" competition, so TfL's intervention is particularly unwelcome. TfL have a long history of supporting "Britain in Bloom" and were former sponsors.

The Evening Standard has covered the story of TfL commissioner Peter Hendy's decision to accept only 45% of his annual bonus.

Caroline Pidgeon told the Standard:

I welcome Peter's decision and would welcome the Mayor to review TfL's bonus policy in general. He has been critical of the bonuses bankers have received.

July's Mayor's Questions saw Caroline raise a number of issues:

• The extension of the number 63 bus route to Honor Oak Park Station, to link in with the East London Line Extension which will open next year
• Information on the West London Line
• Road works at Richmond Circus
• Philosophy on the Underground
• Planning closures of the London Overground service between Gospel Oak and Stratford
• Issues between EDF and TfL about removing redundant lamp post columns