Caroline Pidgeon and Tom Brake have called on Transport for London (TfL) to get an Oyster reader installed and working immediately at the entrance to the new step-free path at Hackbridge.
The work on the new step-free path from London Road to platform two at Hackbridge train station has been completed but, according to Rail Network, the opening has been held-up by the delay in the delivery of the Oyster card reader.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the proposed recommendations from Sir Howard Davies on expanding airport aviation, said:
“For the Davies Commission to advocate a third Heathrow runway in its proposed options means that it lacks any credibility in going forward.
“There is a great deal of spare aviation capacity in London and the South East. By showing so little interest in an intelligent use of this spare capacity the Davies inquiry has totally lost its way.”
As Transport for London claimed contactless payment on buses has been a success despite missing its target usage figures, Caroline Pidgeon told the MayorWatch website:
"Contactless technology has not really caught on with passengers in London. A year after its roll out on London’s 8,500 buses it seems each bus is typically seeing just four fares every day being paid with a bank card.
As figures revealed that use of the Thames cable car has fallen nearly 50% compared to December 2012, Caroline Pidgeon, called for the service to be free for those whose travelcards include Zone Two, and said:
"Last week barely 2,000 people were using the cable car every day," she said. "The number of people using it has plummeted over the last year.
Commenting on the news that Barclays will not renew its sponsorship of the Cycle Hire scheme when the initial contract expires, Caroline Pidgeon told the BBC:
"Barclays have received immense benefits from the publicity given to the cycle hire scheme in its early years, but now that its performance is looking shaky they appear to be bailing out.
"Fundamental questions have to be asked as to how such a one-sided deal was ever struck between Transport for London and Barclays."
Caroline Pidgeon AM, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the Mayor’s comments today about improving cycle safety in the capital said:
"I very much welcome TfL’s initiatives to ensure there are better designed lorries on London’s roads.
“TfL has immense purchasing power and anything it can do to improve the design of lorries has my total support.
Speaking for the London Assembly in response to figures showing that in the last year cycling casualties on the road have risen by 18%, and pedestrian casualties by 15%, Caroline Pidgeon said:
“There is nothing inevitable about cycling and pedestrian collisions resulting in death or serious injury. Cyclists are three-and-a-half times more likely to be killed in Britain than in the Netherlands.
Commenting in the Evening Standard on figures showing that Cycle Hire usage is down for the fourth consecutive month - and 30% down compared to a year ago - Caroline Pidgeon said:
“A combination of poor performance in the running of the wcycle hire scheme and a hike in the membership fee for using the bikes has obviously turned many people away. I expect the recent cycle fatalities have also contributed to the fall in people who wish to hire bikes.
“The long-term success of cycle hire relies on the scheme’s sponsor contributing far more and for action to sort out the redistribution of bikes across the docking stations. Ensuring London’s roads are far safer is the final ingredient for turning around the recent dismal usage figures.”
Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the 2014 fare package that has finally been published today, said:
“At long last the Mayor has finally done the right thing this year and ensured that fares rise on average by no more than the rate of inflation. After so many painful years of inflation busting fare rises this is the very least the Mayor should be doing to help Londoners.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the consultation results for Crossrail 2 showing 95% support for the scheme, said:
“It is great news that there is such overwhelming support for this much needed new rail link between south west and north east London.