Caroline's news

Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, commenting on today’s National Audit Office report into the failure of Metronet, said:

“This is simply a devastating report for the architect of the Public Private Partnership contract – Gordon Brown.

“It is unforgivable that as much as £410 million of taxpayer’s money has been wasted. The PPP deal that was forced on Londoners by Gordon Brown has been totally exposed as a bad deal for both taxpayers and for passengers.

Caroline took the London Liberal Democrats' campaign for a one-hour bus ticket to Islington last week. She joined Lib Dem Parliamentary campaigner Bridget Fox to talk to local residents about the campaign, and to ask them to sign a petition to the Mayor.

Caroline also joined Sarah Ludford MEP and Lib Dem campaigners from Holborn & St Pancras, meeting voters in Camden and collecting signatures for the petition.

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.

Finally, work has begun to improve the junction between Pentonville Road and Penton Rise, a notorious accident blackspot. This work begins eight months after Lib Dem Councillor George Allan and Lib Dem Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon handed a petition to the Major of London last year calling for vital improvements to the roads around the King's Cross area, including Penton Rise.

Originally, work was due to begin in January 2009, but was delayed by TfL three times, causing growing frustration and growing Lib Dem pressure on the London Mayor to act. Since the last deadline set by TfL for April 2009 there have been a further three accidents. Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson Bridget Fox responded to these collisions stating: 'Boris talks a lot about safety, but what we need at Penton Rise is action!'

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.