Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrat MP for North Southwark and Bermondsey, and Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member, have been alarmed to discover that CCTV footage on buses is only kept for one week. After being contacted by a constituent who was allegedly assaulted by a driver on a 42 bus, Simon was shocked to discover the Transport for London and East Thames Buses had no record of the incident because CCTV footage had been destroyed.
July's Mayor's Questions saw Caroline raise a number of issues:
The Mayorwatch website covers the restrictions that prevent London pensioners using their Freedom Passes on overground rail services at peak times.
Caroline is quoted saying that “[many pensioners] believe the promise made by Boris Johnson for 24 hour use of the Freedom Pass applied to all public transport in their area. Clearly this has not been the case and at present many pensioners in London are getting a rotten deal.”
You can read the full story here.
Caroline Pidgeon has tabled a question to Boris Johnson to ask why, during the engineering work disrupting the Jubilee line this summer, replacement buses from Canada Water are being directed to Bank rather than along the line's normal route to Waterloo.
"It seems extraordinary that TfL decide on where to route rail replacement buses without, it would appear, consulting the local community," says Caroline.
The London SE1 website has the full story here: http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/3960
The Hounslow Chronicle covers the story of the double red lines painted by mistake on Lower Mortlake Road in Richmond, and the efforts of Susan Kramer MP and Caroline Pidgeon AM in having them removed.
Caroline tabled a question on the issue to Boris Johnson, who admitted: "An error was made, resulting in TfL’s contractors installing double red lines in advance of a decision being made on the necessary traffic orders. ... Any red lines introduced prematurely and without a valid traffic order will not be enforced."
Caroline's questions in June's Mayor's Question Time, and Boris Johnson's answers, are now on the London Assembly's website.
Caroline covered a number of topics, including:
The full questions and answers are here.
In his first year of office Boris Johnson has broken numerous promises he made to Londoners to improve rail services and has overseen huge delays in extending Oyster to overground train services, says Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson.
Commenting further, Caroline said:
"A year ago Boris Johnson promised to champion the cause of rail passengers by negotiating with Train Operating Companies (TOCs) and delivering Oyster to all overground stations within a year.
Bus users on the Horn Park estate have been given an apology from Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, following the intervention by Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson.
Caroline Pidgeon raised the issue of the B15 bus service not actually serving Horn Park estate, after being briefed by Greenwich Councillor Paul Webbewood, who represents the estate.
Caroline Pidgeon said:
"It is disturbing that bus operators consider it acceptable to shorten a designated bus route and inconvenience residents on the Horn Park estate. The Mayor and Transport for London must ensure the contract with Arriva is fully enforced."
Mayor of London Boris Johnson expressed interest in the proposed express bus service FastBus which would serve Wembley, Park Royal and Acton at a meeting this week at City Hall.
A delegation from Brent and Ealing put the case for case for FastBus to the Mayor at a meeting that came about following Boris Johnson’s promise to Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, that he would listen to the arguments for FastBus at first hand from local representatives from Brent and Ealing. The promise by Boris Johnson to Caroline Pidgeon was made at a Mayor's Question Time in January.