Caroline Pidgeon says:

Welcome to my New Year transport newsletter, which gives an update on some of the transport issues I have been taking up at City Hall and across the capital over recent weeks and months.

Since my last newsletter we have seen the annual fare rise with some real winners and losers. Despite a Treasury grant to help keep fares down the harsh reality is that the Mayor and Transport for London are still hiking fares up in general by 2.5 per cent.

The one welcome aspect of this year’s fare package has been the long overdue realisation that TfL can no longer fleece people who work part-time or flexibly. I have long called for a part time travelcard and this is a step in the right direction. The lower Oyster daily pay as you go cap for Oyster fares for peak travel is certainly welcome. However, even these positive changes have been marred by the Mayor and TfL attempting to sneak through massive increases in off peak travel for people living in outer London including fares for children.

Adults travelling to or from zones 4, 5 and 6 are now seeing substantial increases in their fares if they travel after 9.30am, or at weekends. For example someone starting their journey after 9.30am and travelling from Zone 6 into central London faced last year a daily cap of £8.50 when using Oyster Pay as You Go. At the start of this year the new daily cap has soared to £11.70 – an increase of 38%. Children from outer London are also being hit hard. For example the Child Rate One Day off peak Travelcard has been increased from £3.60 to £6.00. That is a staggering increase of 66%.

When Boris Johnson was first elected in 2008 he made a big claim that he would seek to represent all of London and not just people living in Zone 1. Seven years on it seems Boris Johnson has forgotten this pledge.

The New Year has also seen continued misery for passengers using London Bridge station. As a passenger through this station I know first-hand the additional stress and pressure the constant overcrowding, cancellations and delays are having on commuters. We were promised that after Christmas and the two week station closure everything would be sorted and yet the New Year has brought even more pain and fewer trains for passengers. As Chair of the Transport Committee I have written to Network Rail about this and the problems at King’s Cross, and will continue to press for improvements while these major works continue.

I have continued to push for safer more segregated routes for cyclists and challenged the Mayor about his plans for an East West Cycle Superhighway which has come under criticism by some in the City of London and Canary Wharf Group. I have pushed the Mayor to stick to his overall vision and not be pressured by those who may prefer chauffeured cars than cycles.

I continue to campaign across London with local councillors and campaigners in the Boroughs from Southwark and Lambeth to Redbridge and Richmond. Details for each London Borough can be found at my website www.carolinepidgeon.org.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if I can help with any issue.

With best wishes,

Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM
Liberal Democrat London Transport Spokesperson