Caroline Pidgeon

Caroline visited Earl’s Court in Kensington and Chelsea on 10th August to support local Liberal Democrats including Linda Wade, who is standing in a council by-election in Earl’s Court ward.

Caroline joined Linda and local representatives of residents’ groups to discuss a range of issues including transport plans for Volleyball which will be hosted at Earl’s Court, some dangerous pedestrian crossings and the poor location of the Mayor’s new bike hire scheme.

In the Evening Standard, Ross Lydall reports on calls for the current works on Albert Bridge to continue 24 hours a day, in order to shorten its 18-month closure.

Caroline Pidgeon is quoted in the article, saying:

If London’s gridlock is to be seriously tackled we need to think of imaginative ways to ensure roadworks and repairs to bridges are carried out far more quickly. Work carried out around the clock could play a key role in ensuring far less grief and disruption for Londoners.

Caroline Pidgeon AM, the Liberal Democrat Chair of the Transport Committee at City Hall, was one of the speakers at the West London Line Group’s recent event at West Brompton.

Caroline joined members of the rail user group including its Chair Mark Balaam for a tour of the station and a discussion about many of the ongoing issues the group are campaigning for.

“It was great to hear the history of this important railway line. It is very important that as part of the Sussex Rail Utilisation Strategy, this line is seen as a good way to help passengers to travel across the capital without having to go into the centre of London. It has huge potential and I hope the Government and Mayor of London consider many of the good ideas the West London Line Group are proposing” commented Caroline Pidgeon.

You can read more about the group at http://www.westlondonlinegroup.org.uk/index.htm.

The harmful effects of the western extension of the congestion charging zone were seen at first hand by Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, on her recent visit to the Portobello area. The fact-finding visit was organised by local Liberal Democrat campaigner Carol Caruana, who was keen to update the London Assembly on the impact of the extension on local shops and market stallholders.

After the visit Caroline commented:
“For a long time I have been aware of the harmful effects of the congestion charge extension, however there is no substitute for seeing first hand the harmful impact it is having. Trader after trader told me how they lost business since the congestion charge was extended. The congestion charge extension could not end sooner for businesses in this area.