As September's introduction of contactless payments on the Tube, DLR and Overground approaches, Caroline Pidgeon reiterated concerns about the details of the scheme and how it may impact passengers without access to a bank account:
"After such long delays in introducing this technology, we now need real honesty from the mayor and Transport for London, as to how contactless payment will really operate.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group and transport spokesperson commenting on the highly critical KPMG report on the collapse of the Bombardier signalling contract which has just been published, said:
“It is staggering that TfL simply accepted at face value significant claims made by Bombardier before they awarded such a major contract. Due to a lack of research and basic enquiries about their actual record TfL signed up with a company that had no track record in London and little chance of being able to deliver the new signalling on some of the oldest and most complex Tube lines in the world.
Caroline Pidgeon AM has been working with Terry Stacy, Lib Dem Parliamentary Campaigner in Islington South and other local campaigners to replace the bus shelter at Highbury Grange without delay.
It was removed after a serious road traffic accident.
Caroline formally presented the petition on Wednesday 16th July.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the latest Airports Commission’s inner Thames estuary studies, revealing significantly higher estimated costs for train and road links to the proposed airport than previously suggested by the Mayor, said:
"These latest reports are a potential death blow to the Mayor's dream of creating a massive airport located in the Thames estuary.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group and transport spokesperson, commenting on the awarding of £53 million in fines to Network Rail due to its poor punctuality record, said:
"These fines will be considered by most train passengers as long overdue. Hopefully they will force Network Rail to ensure real improvements take place in the punctuality of rail services.
"And in addition to these fines I hope that within just a few months Network Rail is finally fully covered by the Freedom of Information Act. It is vital to ensure that this publicly funded organisation is far more accountable to passengers, taxpayers and the public.
The Mayor of London has now received a petition with over 600 signatories urging Transport for London to drop its plans to remove an existing footbridge over the busy A316 in Twickenham.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly transport spokesperson, commenting on Transport for London’s plans to make it easier for customers to get a refund for a delayed tube, DLR or London Overground journey said:
“For far too long very few passengers have actually received the compensation they are entitled to. Millions of passengers have simply missed out because the process has been far too complicated and long winded.
As Transport for London begins the process of making a new sponsorship deal for the Cycle Hire scheme, Caroline Pidgeon AM said:
"Many lessons need to be learnt from the exclusive sponsorship deal that the mayor and TfL struck with Barclays Bank.
"Above all else the contract was unnecessarily secretive and far too favourable to the bank.
"The bank should have paid far more for the benefits they had been granted under the sponsorship deal."
Plans for a possible new underground line through Islington have been welcomed by local Liberal Democrats, but questions are being asked about a promised station that appears to have vanished off the map.
The Crossrail 2 project would create a new line between north-east and south-west London with faster journey times and improved transport connections and relieve overcrowded existing lines. The scheme will also
create jobs and regenerate areas.
£60 million of the public’s money is now being held in a cash pile by TfL due to a growing number of Oyster cards that have not even been used for at least one year.
The huge cash pile is due to the soaring levels of money that Transport for London (TfL) generate from people obtaining Oyster cards that are used just once, or very rarely.