Croydon + London-wide stories
Caroline joins Lib Dems from across London and the UK at Pride 2010
19 July 2010 - 9:21pm — Administrator
Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the London Assembly Lib Dems, joined senior Lib Dems including Lynne Featherstone MP, Sarah Ludford MEP, and party president Ros Scott, at the Pride London 2010 event on Saturday 3rd July - the UK's largest annual LGBT event.
Looking forward to the new East London Line
4 February 2010 - 9:39pm — Administrator
On Thursday 28th January Caroline went on a visit to look at the new East London Line Extension works and to view the extension of the Docklands Light Railway.
Caroline visited New Cross Gate Depot and saw the new trains for the line, as well as looking at the new station and works at Shoreditch.
The DLR visit included a trip out to Stratford and down to Woolwich via City Airport.
“The extension of the DLR and the works on the new East London Line were very impressive and it is great to see so much investment going into public transport. I can’t wait for the East London Line to reopen” said Lib Dem Caroline Pidgeon.
Caroline speaks to West London Line user group
25 June 2009 - 8:51pm — Administrator
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.
Lib Dem report reveals massive overcrowding on Croydon trams
10 March 2009 - 10:53pm — AdministratorCaroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member and Vice-Chair of the Transport Committee and Croydon Central Liberal Democrat Campaigner Stephen Dering launched a damning report today into overcrowding on the Croydon Tram network.
73% of respondents to the Liberal Democrat survey highlighted that overcrowding was unacceptable or so bad that they could not board the tram.
The Lib Dem survey included over 1,000 tram users at 12 tram stops across Croydon Central in the early mornings between 9th and 13th February.
Your views matter - Croydon tram users' survey
14 February 2009 - 11:12pm — Administrator
Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, made an early morning visit to Addiscombe’s tram stop to take part in an extensive survey of tram users that local Croydon Liberal Democrats are now conducting.
Caroline was invited by Stephen Dering, the Liberal Democrat Croydon Central parliamentary candidate, to the launch of the survey, which started early this week. The survey is seeking to find out people’s views on a wide range of issues relating to the whole tram network.
Caroline, who is vice chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, said:
"This is an important survey. The views of tram users really matter. This survey is a key way of ensuring that concerns of tram users are heard by Transport for London and that improvements are made."
Lessons from Croydon for the Cross River Tram
26 August 2008 - 9:35pm — Administrator
Caroline Pidgeon AM, the Liberal Democrat deputy chair of the London Assembly’s transport committee, has made a fact finding visit to the now well-established Croydon Tramlink along with a delegation from the transport committee.
Caroline says: "We can learn a lot from the Croydon tram experience and this will ensure the Cross River Tram is even more successful."
Commenting on the plans for the new tram to link London across the river she says:
“Soft words are not enough” – Caroline Pidgeon
18 July 2008 - 8:19pm — AdministratorLiberal Democrat Assembly Member and vice-chair of the Assembly’s Transport Committee Caroline Pidgeon today accused London Mayor Boris Johnson of not doing enough to secure the future of vital transport upgrades in south London.
At the Mayor’s Question Time session in City Hall this morning, Caroline Pidgeon asked what guarantees the Mayor had got from the Secretary of State for Transport Ruth Kelly MP, who he met last week, about the funding for the Cross River Tram project and the East London Line extension as well as other transport projects in London
"Boris must act on Purley Cross traffic layout"
14 July 2008 - 10:38pm — AdministratorLibDem London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon has written to Mayor Boris Johnson demanding that he consults on an effective plan to reorganise the traffic layout at Purley Cross. In her letter Ms Pidgeon accuses Mayor Johnson of going back on an election promise to act on traffic chaos in the area:
Put passengers first – Caroline Pidgeon urges both sides to back down over dispute on ticket office closures
2 September 2010 - 10:28pm — AdministratorCaroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group and deputy chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, commenting on the news that talks have broken down between London Underground and the unions with a series of strikes now expected to start on Monday, said:
“There are legitimate concerns about TfL's plans to slash the opening hours at so many ticket offices across the Tube network, but taking strike action is not the way forward. The unions are running the risk of losing all public sympathy on this issue.
London Underground ticket offices facing savage reduction of 7458 hours every week
1 September 2010 - 8:58pm — AdministratorResearch by Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, has revealed London Underground are planning to close ticket offices across the underground by 7458 hours every week.
Responding to London Underground’s defence of the reduced hours and their repeated claim that all tube stations with a ticket office will continue to have one, Caroline Pidgeon said:
“London Underground and the Mayor are playing with words when they keep peddling the claim that no ticket office will actually close. The harsh reality is that if you can’t access a ticket office for most hours of the day it is effectively closed.
“Ticket office staff carry out many tasks to help customers, with their duties going far beyond just serving tickets. If staff numbers are severely reduced at 9 out of 10 stations it will become far more difficult for staff to help disabled and vulnerable customers and other people who need assistance including visitors.
“London Underground's simplistic portrayal of many ticket offices being quiet places where few tickets are actually sold overlooks the vital service and safety that staffed ticket offices provide. If the plans were to allow ticket office staff to go in and out of the office, depending on the needs at a station, and without a reduction in staff numbers that would help to improve customer services. But to simply cut ticket office hours and take away so many frontline staff makes no sense. In the end it is passengers who will lose out.”
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