Welcome to a new email of news from City Hall.  If you are receiving this email for the first time I hope you find it useful.

Not surprisingly there have been a number of announcements recently from Sadiq Khan.  One of his first announcements is his plan to introduce a ‘hopper bus fare’, which will start in September.

The new fare will automatically be given to anyone who uses Oyster pay as you go or contactless payment, and will allow passengers to make a second bus journey for free within one hour of using it on the first bus.

Along with Liberal Democrats across London I have been campaigning on this issue for many years so I obviously welcome the policy now being taken up by the new Mayor.  Indeed he should now go further and also introduce our policy of half price travel for TfL rail journeys that start before 7.30 am.  

Helping cyclists and pedestrians cross the Thames

Another area where the new Mayor has been taking up ideas I have been advocating is the consideration now being given to a pedestrian and cycle bridge linking Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf.   During the recent Mayoral election, at a London Cycling Campaign hustings, he openly admitted that he had stolen the idea from me!

At the first Mayor’s Question Time since the election I took the opportunity to remind the Mayor of the immense benefits of the proposed bridge for local residents, but also for many people who wish to commute to Canary Wharf by bike.

A further advantage of the proposed bridge that I keep highlighting is that it would help reduce overcrowding on the Jubilee Line, especially the pinch point between Canada Water and Canary Wharf.

You can read more about the proposed bridge at the Sustrans website.

And along with a pedestrian and cycling bridge I will also keep pressing the Mayor to extend the cycle hire scheme out to Rotherhithe.

Tackling London’s air pollution

Incredibly, there is a third issue where the new Mayor is now adopting ideas that we have been advocating.   The Mayor has taken up the idea of extending the size of the proposed Ultra Low Emission Zone and also to introduce an extra payment on the Congestion Charge for diesel vehicles.

Details of the Mayor’s initial proposals, which will lead to a formal introduction very soon, can be seen here.

I fully support these measures being adopted and indeed I would also like to see them backed up by TfL helping London’s taxi fleet to convert to running on electricity, however this will only happen if TfL forces down their prices through bulk purchasing them and then selling or leasing them to taxi drivers and garages.   A scrappage scheme and an extensive network of rapid charging points are also desperately needed.

And now for the bad news

Sadly, there is one area where the Mayor has definitely not been listening to us and that is on the issue of the Garden Bridge.  Sadiq Khan has confirmed his support for the project, despite increasing opposition and fears about its ongoing maintenance costs falling on the taxpayer.

You can see my statement on this announcement at the London Lib Dem website.  A really good description of why we should not be proceeding with the Garden Bridge can also be seen in this excellent article.

Finally, when is a fare freeze not a fare freeze?

Recently you might have got the impression that the new Mayor is committed to freezing all fares, after all he specifically said Londoners won’t pay a penny more for their travel in 2020 than they do today.

The reality is that his pledge was not what most people understood it to mean.  Travelcards definitely will be rising over the next four years.

Keep in touch

I try to tweet on a regular basis.  If you would like to follow me, my twitter handle is @CarolinePidgeon.

Finally, if you would like me to raise an issue, especially through Mayor’s Question Time, please send your suggestions to info@glalibdems.org.uk

Some of my recent written questions, which might be of interest include:
Silvertown Tunnel
Knife crime strategy
Safer walking routes for children
Future of water cannon in London