Caroline took the London Liberal Democrats' campaign for a one-hour bus ticket to Islington last week. She joined Lib Dem Parliamentary campaigner Bridget Fox to talk to local residents about the campaign, and to ask them to sign a petition to the Mayor.
Caroline also joined Sarah Ludford MEP and Lib Dem campaigners from Holborn & St Pancras, meeting voters in Camden and collecting signatures for the petition.
In his first year of office Boris Johnson has broken numerous promises he made to Londoners to improve rail services and has overseen huge delays in extending Oyster to overground train services, says Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson.
Commenting further, Caroline said:
"A year ago Boris Johnson promised to champion the cause of rail passengers by negotiating with Train Operating Companies (TOCs) and delivering Oyster to all overground stations within a year.
Finally, work has begun to improve the junction between Pentonville Road and Penton Rise, a notorious accident blackspot. This work begins eight months after Lib Dem Councillor George Allan and Lib Dem Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon handed a petition to the Major of London last year calling for vital improvements to the roads around the King's Cross area, including Penton Rise.
Originally, work was due to begin in January 2009, but was delayed by TfL three times, causing growing frustration and growing Lib Dem pressure on the London Mayor to act. Since the last deadline set by TfL for April 2009 there have been a further three accidents. Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson Bridget Fox responded to these collisions stating: 'Boris talks a lot about safety, but what we need at Penton Rise is action!'
Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, has revealed that one in five pedestrian crossings in London do not give people enough time to cross the road.
The figures, which had to be obtained by a Freedom of Information inquiry, show 472 crossings do not comply with the minimum timings guidelines from the Department of Transport. These crossings do not provide enough time between the green man light disappearing and the amber light appearing for motorists.
Local residents in Haringey will have to wait an extra four months after a train company broke promises last week on introducing Oyster Pay As You Go (PAYG) on local trains. First Capital Connect (FCC), which runs the Overground train line north of Finsbury Park, recently agreed that train users would be able to use PAYG from September this year; but this has now been delayed until at least January 2010.
Higham Hill Lib Dem ward councillors Peter Woollcott, Patrick Smith and Sean Meiszner, have been campaigning for a new route between Highams Park station and Tottenham Hale for years.
They argue that as the area is one of the most deprived in the country, and more than a mile from Walthamstow Central Station, a route is desperately needed.
The group met with Lib Dem London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon on Thursday who will lobby the mayor and Transport for London (TfL).
Mr Woollcott said the route would bring much benefit to the area.
He said: “There are proposals to build 240 homes in Sutherland Road, 600 in Banbury Park, and the possible Walthamstow Stadium development, so we need facilities in place now.
Watch Caroline Pidgeon and Tom Brake launching the Lib Dems' One Hour Bus Ticket campaign.
Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, was joined by Tom Brake MP, councillors and campaigners from across London this morning at the launch of a Londonwide campaign to persuade the Mayor to introduce one hour bus tickets.
At the busy Vauxhall Bus Station, bus passengers were provided with information about the new campaign and invited to sign a petition.
Caroline Pidgeon said:
“You can already switch from tube to tube on the same ticket, so it makes real sense to allow people to do the same with buses. It really is unfair that people who use Oyster pay as you go have to pay a new fare every time they change buses.
Bus users on the Horn Park estate have been given an apology from Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, following the intervention by Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson.
Caroline Pidgeon raised the issue of the B15 bus service not actually serving Horn Park estate, after being briefed by Greenwich Councillor Paul Webbewood, who represents the estate.
Caroline Pidgeon said:
"It is disturbing that bus operators consider it acceptable to shorten a designated bus route and inconvenience residents on the Horn Park estate. The Mayor and Transport for London must ensure the contract with Arriva is fully enforced."
Caroline Pidgeon, who in addition to being the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson is a Southwark Councillor for Newington Ward, has welcomed the national award granted by Living Streets to Liberal Democrat-led Southwark Council for being the 'Best Local Authority' for pedestrians.
For more information see Living Streets' website here.