Caroline Pidgeon’s transport newsletter number 13

• [Oct 29]: DEAR Friend,

Welcome to the Autumn issue of my quarterly transport newsletter, covering some of the key transport issues that I have been investigating and highlighting over recent weeks at the London Assembly.

Over the last few months parts of the London transport network have been affected by the theft of cabling. With the price of scrap metal going through the roof, this menace has caused chaos on the tube and rail network in the capital. For example, in October thieves stole between 200 and 300 metres of overhead cables just outside of Enfield, causing severe delays to passengers coming in and out of Liverpool Street station. This incident also caused a track side fire, putting the safety of those who work on the railways and the emergency services at risk.

With cables, as well as other metals such as from bus stops, being stolen, action is needed. I tabled a motion calling for the introduction of regulations on the buying of scrap metal and other measures to tackle this issue. Sadly Conservative members of the Assembly walked out, making the meeting inquorate. I have retabled the motion for November and hope that all parties will see sense and support this issue.

October saw the end of an outdated bylaw which has prevented guide dogs from being permitted to go onto moving escalators on the tube, the Docklands Light Railway or London Overground. I have long campaigned for a change in the policy and back in March took up the issue at Mayor's Question Time. Given that there is clear evidence that trained guide dogs and other assistance dogs can safely use moving escalators, I am delighted that progress has at long last been made for visually impaired people.

The other big news has been the Mayor's fare announcement for 2012. Fares will, on average, rise by 7 % which is two per cent more than the rate of inflation. His latest fare rises mean that over four years Boris Johnson will have increased the cost of a single Oyster Pay As You Go bus fare by 55.5 % This is the fourth year of fare misery that Londoners will face under Boris Johnson. These further rises will really hit many people very hard, especially those on low incomes.

• Underground Report

September saw the publication of a detailed report called State of the Underground, which assessed the tube network and set out the performance challenges ahead.

Using data not previously available the Transport Committee report analyses a recent 20 per cent increase in delays on the Tube by type of delay and line affected. The main reason for delays on the four worst performing lines - the Jubilee, Victoria, District and Metropolitan - was equipment failure.

The report found that:

• August 2010 to January 2011 saw the longest sustained period of poor performance on the Tube since upgrade work began

• Industrial action accounted for around half of the increase in lost passenger hours between 2009/10 and 2010/11

• In the last eight years passenger journeys increased by 17 per cent whilst service levels rose by just two per cent.

The report calls on the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) to set out how they will address this recent unacceptable level of performance and recommends a review of industrial relations following a series of disruptive strikes over the last year. Passengers spent an extra six-and-a-half million hours on the Tube in 2010/11 because of the increased number of delays, this is clearly unacceptable and a drag on London's economy.

Alongside the report, we have published line by line information so passengers can see how their line is performing and compare it to the performance of the rest of the network.

A solution to roadworks?

The Government and TfL have been consulting on the introduction of lane rental, a scheme where utility companies would be charged for renting the road space they are digging up.

However, in the Transport Committee's response we have highlighted that plans to charge for lane rental to regulate roadworks on the capital's streets may have consequences for Londoners - including higher utility bills - that must be addressed before any schemes are introduced.

The response also highlights the impact lane rental schemes could have on local residents. TfL's consultation document suggests that if utility companies carry out roadworks outside 'chargeable' times to avoid paying for lane rental, half a million Londoners could be affected by noise late at night and on weekends.

Accessibility of the transport network

At present, only around one-quarter of Tube stations and a third of London's rail stations have step-free access from street level to platform, and only half of all bus stops are fully accessible.

In the Transport Committee's response to TfL's consultation on its accessibility plans, we have highlighted that TfL needs to address this shortfall as quickly as funding allows, given that step-free access and other accessibility measures fall far short of the growing need for them.

Recognising the pressure on TfL's budget, the Committee urges it to prioritise investment in the parts of London where most people with reduced mobility live, at interchange stations, and in low-cost measures like allowing manual ramps, upgrading pedestrian crossings, and better bus driver training.

When it comes to accessibility, TfL needs to focus its energies and funding to maximise the benefits of improvements. Improvements do not need to be expensive. They can be as simple as training bus drivers to give disabled or elderly people enough time to sit down before driving off, or letting people in wheelchairs use manual ramps at tube stations.

As always, I am out and about, visiting Boroughs to look at local transport issues with councillors, campaigners and local residents. From Hounslow to Lambeth, Brent to Bromley I have visited every corner of London and looked into a large number of transport issues over the recent months. 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 AM
Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group and London Transport Spokesperson

Keep in touch

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Website: www.carolinepidgeon.org and www.glalibdems.org.uk

Email: caroline.pidgeon@london.gov.uk

Twitter: @CarolinePidgeon

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