Caroline's news

Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, has received assurances from Transport for London (TfL) that significant improvements will take place on an important Lambeth bus route.

Caroline took up the issue with TfL after concerns were raised by local residents and Liberal Democrat councillors. She has now been informed by TfL that the 59 bus route that runs from Streatham to Euston bus station, via Brixton station, Lambeth North station and Aldwych, will see far more buses running northward. The improvements should take place towards the end of the year.

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat Assembly Transport spokesperson, recently visited the Tiger’s Head junction on Bromley Road in south Catford to discover at first hand how dangerous the junction is.

After visiting the junction and being briefed by Downham councillor Julia Fletcher she said:
“The extensive delays to improving this junction were brought to my attention by local Liberal Democrat councillors last Autumn and in November I raised the issue with a question to Boris Johnson.

“For many years Transport for London have known full well just how dangerous this junction is, especially for children, some of whom need to cross the junction to attend a local school. It is simply disgraceful that pedestrians are expected to cross four lanes of busy traffic with no pedestrian lights to assist them.

Boris Johnson has suggested that negotiations to allow the East London Extension to go ahead are now close to completion. Responding to repeated questions from Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member, the Mayor stated that he was “confident” it would go ahead, claiming that “we are on the threshold of greatness” and that “we are almost there”.

Caroline Pidgeon, who is the Liberal Democrat Transport Assembly Spokesperson, said:
“After so many years of waiting it is incredibly exciting that we now appear to be so close to a deal being agreed to allow the go ahead of this much needed transport project.

Boris Johnson, at today’s London Assembly debate on the Mayor’s draft consolidated budget, agreed to carefully examine proposals put forward by the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group on tackling fare evasion and the introduction of a one-hour ticket for bus use.

On fare evasion Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson said:

“It is good news that the Mayor has accepted that far more should be done to tackle fare evasion across the whole transport network. Transport for London estimate that fare evasion is costing at least £70 million a year, which is a bill every honest traveller is paying through higher fares or a lack of investment in new transport.

Caroline Pidgeon AM spent Sunday knocking on doors with Shoaib Patel, candidate in the Valentines Ward by-election.