Tower Hamlets + London-wide stories
Crossrail is vital but needs to learn lessons
24 February 2010 - 9:15pm — AdministratorThe London Assembly Transport Committee has launched a new report, questioning the sums Londoners are paying for the Crossrail project, and criticising the way compulsory purchases of businesses and homes have been handled.
In the report, 'Light at the end of the tunnel', the Committee recognises the value of the £16bn rail link project, which will bring an extra 10% capacity on London’s overcrowded rail and Tube network, thousands of new jobs and a massive boost to the national economy.
However, it questions the fairness of Londoners contributing the majority of the funding, when 8 of the 37 stations are outside Greater London, and the project is expected to generate £22bn for central government over the next ten years. It also points out Crossrail's poor handling of displaced businesses and residents whose premises are compulsory purchased to make way for construction work, especially in Soho.
Incredible progress on the Olympics site
22 February 2010 - 8:24pm — Administrator
Caroline went on a trip around the Olympics site on Friday 19th February, to look at the progress that is being made on transforming this huge site into the Olympic Park.
“The progress since I last visited two years ago is incredible. The design of the aquatics centre, velodrome and stadium is quite exceptional. I can’t wait to see the finished venues!” said Caroline Pidgeon.
Video: monitoring the Crossrail project
12 February 2010 - 9:43pm — AdministratorFrom the site of the station redevelopment at Tottenham Court Road, Caroline Pidgeon explains how the London Assembly Transport Committee will be monitoring the Crossrail project to ensure it is on time, on budget and delivers the extra transport capacity that London urgently needs.
Looking forward to the new East London Line
4 February 2010 - 8:39pm — 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.
Keeping track of Crossrail
22 December 2009 - 10:49am — Administrator
Caroline went on a site visit on Friday 18th December to look at works at Tottenham Court Road for Crossrail and the upgrade of the London Underground Station.
London press covers Dial-a-Ride failures
13 October 2009 - 6:53pm — AdministratorThe London press has given wide coverage to the failures of TfL's Dial-a-Ride service, revealed by Caroline Pidgeon's questioning of the Mayor.
Caroline commented then that:
“Three years ago Transport for London promised disabled Londoners a far better deal from Dial-a-Ride. They specifically promised that the number of refused trips would halve in just two years. Yet instead of falling the number of refused trips have actually gone up by more than 50%. It is simply appalling every day of the year more than 400 trips are now refused to Dial-a-Ride users."
The story has been covered in:
City Hall calls in Madrid metro boss to help sort Jubilee Line
1 September 2009 - 8:38pm — AdministratorIn the East London Advertiser, Caroline discusses her Transport Committee's plans to investigate the disruption called by works on the Jubilee Line - including calling in the managing director of the Madrid Metro, to find out how lessons can be learned from Spain.
Both the Tube and Crossrail are essential for London
18 May 2009 - 8:31pm — Administrator
On Friday 15th May, Caroline attended an event to witness the start of the construction of Crossrail with the Mayor of London and Prime Minister.
When it is completed in 2017, Crossrail will go from Maidenhead in the West through to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the East, taking in Heathrow, Paddington, Farringdon and Stratford in between. (You can see a map of the route here.)
Oyster passengers overcharged £500,000 a month
1 March 2010 - 9:27pm — AdministratorIn an article for the Lib Dem Voice website, Caroline Pidgeon describes how anomalies in the Oyster card system result in Londoners being overcharged by £500,000 a month when they travel on National Rail services:
This week at City Hall I was accused by Boris Johnson of being a “negative Liberal Democrat” when I dared to question him over some of the problems that have happened as a result of the extension of Oyster Pay as You Go to national rail services across London.
Well I stand by my questioning of the Mayor as there is no doubt that a huge number of Londoners are not getting the best deal that Oyster could deliver. There are serious anomalies in how the system operates, and the full benefits of the technology are simply not being delivered. Most significantly many people using Oyster on the trains, whether they are Londoners or visitors, are being overcharged, sometimes by quite large amounts. This January alone it is estimated that 32,000 passengers were overcharged a total of half a million pounds.
Rail companies must improve their response to snow
19 February 2010 - 9:06pm — AdministratorFollowing the chaos on London's railways during this winter's snow, the London Assembly Transport Committee has written to the Secretary of State for Transport, asking for a national review of the rail industry's performance in bad weather to cover:
- Rail operators’ and Network Rail’s contingency plans
- Modification of trains and tracks so they can cope in icy conditions, for example using 'third rail' technology
- Better information and compensation arrangements for passengers, with a consistent and transparent industry-wide standard
Published and promoted by Matthew Hanney on behalf of Caroline Pidgeon, both at Unit 6 Hermes House, 59 Josephine Avenue, London SW2. Printed (dispatched) by Tsohost Ltd, 3 The Meadows, Worlington, Suffolk IP28 8SH.
