Transport articles

Tube managers must be respectful in sensitive situations

Responding to the shocking news that a suicide victim's body was left in a Tube station cupboard and discovered by shocked staff, Caroline Pidgeon said:
"For London Underground to claim that its standard procedures have been followed in this horrific incident simply highlights that its procedures are totally inadequate.

"Combining respect for a dead body with keeping LU operating must be a tough challenge on some occasions but it can and must be done."

Caroline will be raising concerns about London Underground's handling of the tragedy with the Mayor.

11 July 2011 - 9:14pm

TfL begins work to reduce Oyster overcharging

Following Caroline Pidgeon and the London Assembly Liberal Democrats' sustained campaigning on the issue of passengers being overcharged on their Oyster cards for "incomplete" journeys, Transport for London have now formally recognised the issue and begun work to improve the situation.

In response to a Freedom Of Information request from the London Assembly Lib Dems, TfL stated:

We recognise that more can be done and are working to further improve Oyster and the service provided to customers, including improved journey history information and work on a technological solution which we hope to introduce later this year to tackle the issue of incomplete journeys.

Read TfL's full response here.

Speaking on this issue, Caroline Pidgeon told the London24 website:

The current level of overcharging is totally unacceptable. There is something very seriously wrong when each and every week of the year Londoners are ripped off by more than £1 million.
It is vital that TfL and the Mayor find a solution to stop so many passengers being ripped off.

You can read London24's coverage here.

9 July 2011 - 8:56pm

We need a proper consultation over the Northern Line extension

Caroline Pidgeon AM, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, is challenging the Mayor over the latest consultation for the proposed Northern Line extension to Nine Elms and Battersea.

After criticisms of last year’s consultation on the proposed extension of the Northern Line Transport for London are now running another consultation exercise until 10 August 2011. The consultation sets out four possible route options, despite the fact that Transport for London and the developers Treasury Holdings have stated that two of the four options are not feasible.

4 July 2011 - 7:35pm

Assembly demands answers over passengers' Southeastern ordeal

The London Assembly’s Transport Committee, led by Caroline Pidgeon has written to Southeastern trains seeking an explanation for the severe delays yesterday evening, and how passengers – some of whom left the train and walked along the tracks to escape the sweltering conditions – will be compensated.

A broken down train in Dartford caused significant delays to Southeastern services during the evening rush hour, and left passengers on one train stuck just outside Bexleyheath for almost two hours on the hottest day of the year.

1 July 2011 - 5:57pm

Future of businesses around London Bridge must be assured

The need for real assurances about the future facing the independent businesses that operate under the arches of London Bridge was the number one message that came out of a key meeting held today (Monday 27th June) between local businesses, Network Rail and politicians.

At the meeting Network Rail met with representatives of local businesses including Team London Bridge, Arch 897, Platform SE1 bar and restaurant, Southwark Playhouse and Arch Climbing Wall, as well as planning officers from Southwark Council and local Riverside Councillor Anood Al-Samerai, leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Southwark Council. The meeting was hosted at City Hall by Caroline Pidgeon AM, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group and Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee.

1 July 2011 - 5:49pm

Regent's Canal walkabout in Islington and Hackney

Caroline recently joined Ian Shacklock (Chair of the Friends of Regent's Canal), Caroline Russell (Chair, Islington Living Streets), Del Brenner (lifelong canal campaigner, Secretary of Regent's Network) and Michael Rosenbaum (Angel Canal Festival committee member, local resident) to walkabout the Regent’s Canal in Islington and Hackney to look at a number of issues including:

  • cycling (and measures to deter or calm the few anti-social cyclists),
  • illegal mooring,
  • freight opportunities and threats,
  • the Danbury ramp,
  • policing.
1 July 2011 - 5:47pm

Time for the Mayor and TfL to work to improve industrial relations

Commenting on the finding of the Employment Tribunal that RMT Union member Arwyn Thomas had been unfairly dismissed from his job as a Tube driver, Caroline Pidgeon Leader of the Liberal Democrat Assembly Group, said:

"London Underground have previously said that if the tribunal cleared Mr Thomas he would be re-instated. I hope that LU bosses will acknowledge the Tribunal's findings and that the RMT will also call off the further strike action they have planned so London can go about its normal business."

22 June 2011 - 9:47pm

Mayor has no idea of cable car costs to the public

The BBC reports on Boris Johnson's inability to confirm how much the Greenwich to Newham cable car will cost the taxpayer, when pressed by Caroline Pidgeon at June's Mayor's Question Time session.

Responding to Caroline's question, the Mayor was vague:

When pressed by Liberal Democrat Caroline Pidgeon, who asked him to guarantee that all the money would be recouped from the private sector, Mr Johnson said that private funds "may well cover the total cost over time.

But he added: "Whether it will cover every penny of the set up costs I can't guarantee.

The cost "may very well be zero to the public sector, but I can't tell you what it will be yet", he told the assembly.

You can read the report - and video coverage - here on the BBC website.

Since that time, construction has begun on the cable car, but - as Mayorwatch reports - there is still no guarantee it will be ready for the 2012 Games.

As of September 2011, the costs of the cable car have now risen to £60m - and TfL is taking over part of the rail budget to pay for it. Read more here at Londonist, the News Shopper, Liberal Democrat Voice and on the BBC website.

18 June 2011 - 4:51pm

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