Last Autumn saw the dreadful news that the late night service on the Clipper service was being removed from the winter timetable.
The good news is that following an excellent campaign run by commuters, Southwark Liberal Democrat Councillors and Caroline (read more on Caroline's site here and here) an evening service has now returned, starting from the 1st April.
Caroline joined the national launch of the Yes to the Alternative Campaign held at Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre in Lambeth. The campaign has the backing of people ranging from Eddie Izzard to Martin Bell and Kriss Akabusi.
The referendum to make the voting system fairer and ensure that all MPs must receive the backing of 50 per cent of their constituents is being held on Thursday 5th May.
For details of the campaign launch see the BBC website and London SE1 website.
To find out more about why the Alternative Vote campaign is so important and how you can get involved click here, visit the Yes To Fairer Votes site here.
The South London Press has an article on the sums overcharged to passengers for making "incomplete journeys" on their Oyster card - adding up to £2.3m in 2010 for passengers at London Bridge mainline station alone.
And you can read the full data here on Caroline's site.
Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on the Greater London Assembly, has joined Lib Dem councillors have met with Southwark police chiefs to urge them to retain the Safer Neighbourhood Teams in their ward, as Police bosses are reviewing the way they provide local services. Councillors Cathy Bowman from Walworth, Eliza Mann from Bermondsey, and Robin Crookshank Hilton from Dulwich, joined Caroline and local residents to meet the Met’s senior Commander in charge of Neighbourhood Policing, Steve Rodhouse.
Passengers are being overcharged more than £1 million a week when using Oyster, with overcharging occurring at every tube and train station across the capital, new figures obtained by Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group leader, have revealed.
The top ten stations where passengers were ripped off last year were:
| Waterloo | National Rail | £2,452,000 |
| London Bridge | National Rail | £2,300,000 |
| Liverpool Street | National Rail | £1,615,000 |
Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the Mayor’s announcement today about crime statistics on public transport and his claim to be providing extra policing on to the transport network said:
“The Mayor should take great care when boasting about crime statistics on London’s transport network, especially as the overall fall in crime seems to hide some very disturbing rises in bus crime in about a third of London boroughs.
The London SE1 website has an article on the Mayor's admission - when questioned by Caroline Pidgeon - that he has suspended plans for a "Blue Light Museum" honouring the history of London's emergency services, which would combine the collections of the Fire Brigade Museum in Southwark, the London Ambulance Service's museum in Ilford, and possibly the police's Black Museum in Scotland Yard.
Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, today called on the Mayor of London to look at whether Transport for London could take over the running of certain rail routes serving Londoners.
Following her questioning of the Mayor at City Hall she said:
“There is a chasm between what the Mayor promised train commuters before he was elected and the harsh reality facing so many commuters each and every day.
The Telegraph covers the advice by the 2012 Olympics organising committee that commuters should stay at home and avoid public transport during the Games, despite polls showing that 80% of Londoners plan to be in the city as normal.
Caroline Pidgeon comments:
Instead of relying on many commuters staying at home or avoiding London we need assurance that plans are in place and the transport network will be able to cope to prevent gridlock across the capital.
I fear travel will not be as easy as they hope.
You can read the full article here.
On Friday 7th January Caroline met with local residents, the Chair of the Transport Committee and Transport for London officers to discuss the poor transport services to many people in the Southampton Way area of Camberwell, currently served by the 343 bus route.