London-wide + Southwark stories

Time for honesty over Jubilee line fiasco

As news emerges that TfL has had to pay £25m to the company that owns Canary Wharf in compensation for the major delays to the Jubilee line upgrade, Caroline Pidgeon commented:

"Users of the Jubilee line have faced years of misery as the upgrade programme over-ran. To learn now that millions of pounds has been shelled out to Canary Wharf Group, while passengers have not been compensated, adds insult to injury.

"It is time the Mayor and TfL were honest with Londoners over the real cost of this long-standing fiasco. We are entitled to know the details of every penny that has been spent."

You can read full coverage in the Evening Standard, the Docklands & East London Advertiser and the Wharf website.

28 January 2012 - 10:25pm

TfL must not drag their feet over Bermondsey danger junction

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group Leader, working alongside local MP Simon Hughes, is urging the Mayor to ensure that vital improvements are completed to the junction of Abbey Street and Tower Bridge Road within just a few months

After receiving a reply to a recent question (see below) Caroline Pidgeon has now written to the Mayor urging immediate action is taken and seeking assurances from Boris Johnson that the improvements will not be delayed by Transport for London (TfL) until after the Olympic Games.

Caroline Pidgeon said:
“TfL has a long record of dragging its feet when it comes to improving junctions for pedestrians and cyclists.

"It is vital that this does not take place with this junction. Some very basic safety improvements must be completed to this junction within just a few months – at the very latest. There can be no excuses for TfL delaying much needed safety improvements due to the Olympics.”

25 January 2012 - 3:43pm

Exchanging Places to raise cycling safety awareness

Caroline visited an "Exchanging Places" event outside Tate Modern, organised by the Metropolitan Police's Cycle Task Force to raise awareness of cycle safety. These events allow people to sit in the driver's seat of a HGV or bus to get a better understanding of what the driver can and can't see, especially in regards to cyclists on the nearside and directly in front of the vehicle.

You can read more information from the Met here.

20 January 2012 - 9:45pm

TfL agree to review London Road safety

A much needed review of the contraflow bus lane on London Road near Elephant and Castle will soon be taking place following action taken by local MP Simon Hughes, local councillors and Caroline Pidgeon, the leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group.

Following numerous complaints by local residents about safety issues a meeting was held at City Hall where local councillors, Caroline Pidgeon and Simon Hughes set out a number of specific concerns to Transport for London engineers about how the contraflow bus lane operates.

15 January 2012 - 7:45pm

Scrutinising the Mayor on cycling safety

2011 has seen far too many cycle accidents and deaths on our roads.

Caroline continues to campaign for safer roads for cyclists and pedestrians and her most recent questions to the Mayor which have been answered just before Christmas can be seen below.

For more information about cycling issues across London do also take a look at the excellent London Cycling Campaign website.

23 December 2011 - 9:07pm

River Thames is a great opportunity for transport

The River Thames is a forgotten highway, a tube line effectively, across the centre of London and yet under-resourced in terms of transport.

In January, the London Assembly Transport Committee is looking into river transport services - so Caroline and other Committee members spent a chilly morning in early December out and about on the river with Thames Clippers from Putney to Erith, looking at the challenges and opportunities to really expand river transport services for Londoners.

23 December 2011 - 8:55pm

Vigil to remember cyclist's tragic death in Southwark

Caroline Pidgeon AM and Simon Hughes MP joined local residents and councillors in a vigil on the evening of 14th December, in memory of Ellie Carey, a cyclist who died in a collision with a lorry at the corner of Abbey Street and Tower Bridge Road in Bermondsey.

Simon Hughes called for an end to the "carnage that shouldn't be" due to unacceptable danger cyclists face on London streets - which Caroline Pidgeon is continuing to fight for action on in the London Assembly.

17 December 2011 - 8:06pm

New Blackfriars Station opening is a great day for Bankside and South Bank

The opening to passengers today of the southern entrance to Blackfriars mainline station has been celebrated by Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, the local MP Simon Hughes and ward councillor Geoffrey Thornton.

On 5th December they visited the new southern entrance to see at first hand the latest stage of the station’s redevelopment. This is the first mainline railway station built with access from the south bank of the River Thames for 120 years.

As well as admiring the new entrance facilities they also checked to make sure that Network Rail had delivered on its pledge to provide new signs on the platforms stating “London Blackfriars – for Bankside and South Bank.” The new signs have come about following a long campaign led by Caroline Pidgeon and Simon Hughes MP.

9 December 2011 - 9:10pm

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