Lynne's Parliament and Haringey diary

Yesterday first meeting of the day was with Transport for London (and Cllrs Martin Newton and Gail Engert) with regard to the bus stop (W7 and 144) sited about 100–150 metres down Muswell Hill from the roundabout.

The problem is that older people, mothers with buggies and those with mobility problems have real difficulty getting to this crucial bus stop because of the gradient of the hill. It is a very busy bus stop – and it becomes even more crucial with the imminent opening of Hornsey Central Health Centre, as it is only this bus that goes directly from Muswell Hill to the centre.

A little child coming down the hill towards the bus stop fell over whilst we were standing there – as if to illustrate the point. TfL understood the issue. They have now gone away to see which option might be possible: resiting the bus stop (unlikely), adding in a stop at the roundabout (most possible of the alternatives), extending the route to enable a bus stop along Broadway or Fortis Green (less likely). Anyway – as I said – TfL have now gone away to look at the options. Let’s hope that they take the proper action – because it really is a huge issue for older people who have to get to their doctor or to the centre for other health checks and cannot negotiate the hill safely.

At lunchtime I went to a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV/AIDS. One of my constituents was there – and we are going to meet up locally to see how we can take forward both the normalising of HIV / AIDS so that the stigma is further reduced and more people learn that there is really no difference between someone with HIV/AIDS and someone without the chronic disease – except the illness, which isn't catching and no longer means dying. We have let this slip off the agenda a bit – but I think it needs another awareness campaign. And perhaps even more importantly – a campaign to get people to come forward for testing. There is still a reluctance – but if tested early – the treatments now are fantastic (although tough at times). There is no longer a death sentence to having the disease – but you have to get tested to get the medicine!

Then it was off to New Scotland Yard to meet with the Trafficking Unit. I wanted to meet with them because locally I have been concerned about the girls working in a massage parlour and the extent of the adverts in the back of some of our local newspapers which blatantly advertise things like ‘new girls arriving all the time’.

In fact, in terms of the newspaper ads (which I thought would be an easy thing for the squad to tackle) they say it’s a difficult line between trafficking and prostitution, and chasing down ads doesn’t really address the organised crime and the challenges of bringing and persuading trafficked girls and women to safety. The unit is really targeting enforcement and has had some success. Sadly – the Government seems keen to stop their funding – which is clearly insane given they are the only unit tackling this and it is highly, highly specialised.

We looked also at the issues around trafficked children - and Haringey is an area where there are some concerns around this issue. I remember there was always discussion as to whether Victoria Climbie had been trafficked. Having met her parents I find it hard to believe. But there definitely is a trade in trafficked children and I will be setting up some meetings (hopefully) with someone who can get into that community and help the police. Anyway – a very interesting briefing – and hopefully very useful.

Labels: gail engert, martin newton, tfl

I've often had to put a shifty on when crossing the road at the bottom of Muswell Hill. There hardly seems to be time to make it across. Well - it's not my imagination - the lights really are not giving enough time to make it safely.

There are 26 major pedestrian crossings in Haringey in breach of national safety guidelines updated in 2005, including the signals at the bottom of Muswell Hill where it meets Priory Road and Park Road, and also the signals where Wightman Road, Hornsey Park Road and Turnpike Lane meet.

I'm lucky - I can still put a shifty on when needed - but older people, people with mobility difficulties and those with babies and young children may not be able to rush across.

It isn't rocket science and should be easy to fix - so come on Transport for London!

For more on the story, see this week's Journal coverage.

Labels: tfl

Well - the new all singing, all dancing Hornsey Hospital will open in the relatively near future. But despite raising the issue of public transport needs to the new facility since the day of its inception - and requests to Peter Hendy (TFL Commissioner of Transport for London) and Haringey Council and all - they are still 'having meetings' about it.

We need to make sure that this new medical centre is properly served by adequate public transport. They took away the W2 when it was closed some years ago. Official figures from the health trust acknowledge that the area is very poorly served by buses, with less than half of local residents able to get to the Park Road Health centre in less than 20 minutes. We need a new bus - particularly to serve those people whose GP practices move in, but also for everyone who will access the other services on site.

It is absolutely fantastic that we finally have a new health facility in our local area after campaigning for so long with local residents to make it happen. But what’s the point if it is so difficult for people to get there?

Labels: hornsey central hospital, peter hendy, tfl

Transport for London didn't want to replace the Countdown display on a damaged bus shelter on Priory Road (Muswell Hill):



(You can also watch this on the YouTube website.)

Labels: gail engert, tfl

The bigwigs from Transport for London came to Parliament to meet with the London Lib Dem MPs to answer specific questions from them. Quite a line up! Tim O’Toole (tube), David Brown (surface transport), Ian Brown (overground) and the Commissioner for Transport – Peter Hendy.

Needless to say my constant refrain is ‘gissa bus’ – and specifically the extension to a full time route for the 603. What is like trying to get blood out of a stone is the cycle where I ask, I get told that a full time route is not financially viable - but then they won't say what demand level will make it viable. However, today after pushing and pushing the point, David Brown has said that he will finally get back to me with some sort of figure. I could see scepticism in his eye – because he is convinced that the model TfL use to assess viability predicts demand accurately. I say bollocks to that. Anyway – I want to try and prove their model wrong. So – if they say 10 passengers per hour or 20 or whatever – I will find them!

Labels: 603 bus, peter hendy, tfl, tim o'toole

One - during the week my Liberal Democrat colleagues on Haringey Council got a motion through for Haringey Council to opt-in to the Sustainable Communities Act. The act in itself is really only a tool to open up future possibilities - but now we're well on the way to being able to do that.

Two - parking permit problems for residents in Clarendon Road sorted out.

Three - Transport for London (TfL) have now promised that we will be able to use Oyster Pay As You Go on trains by September. Easier train travel, here we come!

Many thanks to everyone who backed the campaign on this - I've no doubt the public pressure make a big, big difference.

Labels: controlled parking zones, haringey council, oyster, sustainable communities bill, tfl

A fun thing happened yesterday – well two in fact. And it has been quite a grim couple of weeks so very welcome.

First off I was at the BBC to do the Jeremy Vine show – and while I was waiting in the ‘green room', I saw Tom Chambers from Strictly Coming Dancing pacing up and down – obviously also waiting to go on a show. Well – we are big Strictly fans in my house – and so, despite the hideous embarrassment I would have to suffer – I went up to him and introduced myself. And yes – asked for his autograph for one of my daughters.

He was so nice - despite, I assume, getting approached quite a lot. When I told him that my daughter had put money on him (I know - betting- sorry) he looked a bit surprised. I hastily added that she was 19 – and that she had a double bet – him for Strictly and Alexandra for X Factor! He said all his friends had money on him too!

And then the second nice thing was going to a presentation by Peter Hendy (Commissioner of Transport for London) and Tim O’Toole (Manager of London Underground). Nice for two reasons – firstly I think these two are class professionals – way better than most I have met on my sojourn through life. Secondly – brilliant presentation by Tim on the improvements to the tube up to 2020. Just setting aside the actuality for a moment – the way he illustrated what would happen on each line was the most dynamic presentation I have seen for years! As the first 20 years of my professional life were as a designer – just a pleasure to watch.

Labels: peter hendy, tfl, tim o'toole

Started the day campaigning at Alexandra Park Station to bring in Oyster Pay As You Go as soon as possible.

As well as Nigel Scott (our candidate for the by-election in Alexandra ward) and Alexandra Councillors Susan Oatway, Dave Beacham - we also had Caroline Pidgeon who is our Transport Spokesperson on the London Assembly and Denys Robinson Chair of London Region - so it was a big do!

Loads of people took our little petition postcard - so we will be able to keep up pressure on Transport for London (and the Train Operator) who have been a bit tardy with stations north of Finsbury Park in terms of Oyster PAYG. And other Liberal Democrat councillors were out at other stations like Harringay, Hornsey, Bowes Park etc. Onward and upward.

Then visited a delightful supported housing scheme in Wood Green - Raj Kunj - for residents of Asian community. They were so nice and raised lots and lots of issues - chief amongst which is the very short time the lights at the crossing outside their building allows them to get across the main road. Traffic comes whizzing down the main road - very dangerous I think.

Labels: caroline pidgeon, dave beacham, nigel scott, oyster, susan oatway, tfl

First up on Friday is meeting at Highgate Tube to discuss the dreaded fence issue. Without going back over the arguments - residents are divided about the fence on Archway Road by Highgate Tube station as on the one hand people living on the roads behind the station want good protection against all the noise from the road, whilst those on the road or going along the road don't want an eyesore.

Anyway, a fence got put in with Transport for London also promising a lot of planting that would end up screening the fence - and allow it to be replaced with a chain link fence instead. Problem - the planting never grew - well not fully.

Anyway, TfL had obviously done their work to find a solution - which is to put in maturish trees and new planting so that before too long - the cutting will look beautiful and dense and the solid fence will be able to be replaced with chain link. But still a long way to go...

Labels: tfl

A few stories out in the newspapers today in which I feature:

Equalities Bill - the Guardian has coverage today, including:

The Liberal Democrat equality spokeswoman, Lynne Featherstone, said: "If the government genuinely wants to tackle equality, it must do more to end the growing discrepancy between the rules on pay for the public and private sector.

"Without compulsory pay audits for the private sector, these proposals will represent a very real victory for the hawks in the cabinet. Public sector equality rights are fast becoming an ivory tower that private sector employees can only dream of. A few tick-box questionnaires for government suppliers on their equality policy are going to do little to change the day-to-day opportunities for the 20 million people who work in the private sector."

The future of the FAITH centre has been covered by the Hornsey Journal (blogged about here):

THE FIGHT to save a centre that supports disabled people in Wood Green has reached the 11th hour, campaigners fear.

Hornsey and Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone joined a protest over the planned closure of the FAITH (Further Advancement In Training in Haringey) Plant Centre, in Wolves Lane, last Friday.

She said: "The notification has come late. This is almost the 11th hour. Everyone has got to get a shifty on to make sure it doesn't close before a rescue plan can be put into operation."

The Journal's also covered the case of a local resident and her parking fine:

A DISABLED resident is up in arms after a no parking sign pointing the wrong way left her £600 out of pocket.Elizabeth Bennett, of Highgate, could not see the sign when she parked in Southwood Avenue at 8.10am on Sunday, May 18, and was left with the hefty fine.

Lynne Featherstone, Hornsey and Wood Green, MP is fighting her corner demanding transport bosses review the fine and repair the sign.

Transport for London (TfL) has refunded the ticket and vowed that cars displaying blue disabled badges will never be removed.

Lynne Featherstone said: "Parking restrictions are a necessity but when they are applied without compassion there is something wrong.

"I understand how Mrs Bennett believed she was parking legally. And £600 is way off the scale of what is fair. TfL must act."

Labels: equality bill, tfl

A few days ago I wrote about the huge financial headache left when tube maintenance company Metronet collapsed. Labour has now had to bail out the mess - a mess caused by their part-privatisation of our tube network in the first place.

It again shines a light on one of the real problems with these sorts of PPP deals: there were sold as shifting the risk to the private sector (who also got the chance to make profits). Instead, we've seen firms making profits - but in the end the risk still stays with us taxpayers. As Norman Baker (Lib Dem MP and general scourge of all things wrong) put it: "Just like Northern Rock, the private sector takes the profit when they can, and the public sector bails them out when matters go pear-shaped."

The one small piece of good news in all this? The bailout bill looks to be coming in at £1.7 billion rather than £1.9 billion.

Labels: gordon brown, norman baker, tfl

As if the £50 billion plus pumped into saving Northern Rock wasn't enough, this week brought more bad news for Gordon Brown's record of prudence.

The Commons Transport Committee published a report into the collapse of Metronet (and good to see Brian Paddick getting into that story too - read more here). Metronet was one of the private contractors foisted on London's tube at the insistence of Gordon Brown and his inner circle, who were determined to part-privatise the tube network come what may.

The result? A badly thought out, badly implemented and hugely expensive scheme. Just setting up the deal cost huge amounts of money - putting together mindbogglingly complicated contracts and running up extra borrowing costs. In 2004 the National Audit Office put the cost put introducing part-privatisation at approaching £1 billion - yes billion: £455 million in legal etc costs in drawing up the scheme and £450 million in extra borrowing costs.

So - Metronet collapsed,upgrade and maintenance work in doubt and a huge bill floating around that someone will have to pick up. Not exactly a proud track-record for Labour when it comes to London's public services!

Labels: brian paddick, gordon brown, tfl

Transport for London's Peter Hendy has agreed to a TfL making a site visit to discuss the vexed question of the location of Highgate Village's main bus stand.

The solution I'm after is an extension of the vital 271 to East Finchley - so it connects better with other local services and East Finchley tube station. This would not only create more joined-up bus services, but would also allow the removal of the bus stand - greatly improving Pond Square. Better bus services and a better space for the community - it'd be a matter of win, win.

You can read more details of the story here and you can read the Hornsey Journal's coverage of the story here.

Labels: peter hendy, tfl

Excellent news has just come through about the 210 bus route - it's going double-decker. That means more space on the buses, hurrah!

This will kick off on 16th February. It's a shame that it has taken Transport for London so long to respond to the issue - but credit where credit is due, they have now.

Labels: tfl

Haringey PCT presented their update on Hornsey Hospital to a meeting yesterday. The good news (potentially) is that they have financial closure and the building will be built. The battle now is over what services get provided, which GPs will be based there, how local pharmacies will be impacted as they want a bit of a pharmacy on site, whether extra public transport can be provided (it is served only by one bus currently) and how all of this will be decided. Will consultation be wide and reach all users and stakeholders? And will we and our GPs be listened to?

It was an extremely robust meeting. The Better Local Healthcare Campaign group are extremely concerned that this is a privatisation of our health care. They raised the issue of the building actually being used for residential or commercial purposes. Richard Sumray, the Chair of Haringey PCT, denied this categorically and said whilst it had been in early proposals as alternatives - it had fallen as they had managed to find funding without the need for either of those proposals.

There is no doubt that there will be some private provision. That is Labour's avowed proposition - that 15% of our health provision will come from the private sector. However, from what I could tell at the meeting, there is a fundamental commitment to this being and remaining an NHS service. I guess that we all have so little faith in what the Labour government tells us - especially because there have been so many varied incarnations of promises on Hornsey Hospital - that we are all concerned that what we are told may not be what happens.

My key issue is GP practices. The Trust is quite clear that some current GPs will have to move into the new, super-centre - otherwise it would not be viable. They deny absolutely that they are looking for a 50,000 patient list - but that they will commence with 15,000 rising to 25,000 years hence. Moreover - all practices will be able to use the new facilities - and thus a network of better health services will be provided locally.

My concern, which I raised pretty strongly, was that all the GPs and practices are really brought into the planning of this new facility. I have had reports from GPs of feeling pressured, being concerned that if they don't move in or do what the Trust wants they will be punished financially and so on. So I asked the Chair about coercion, punishment, engagement etc with GPs and they absolutely promised that this (engagement, not punishment!) starts now. If they do work together - then this could be a real step forward. If the Trust steamrollers its way through and doesn't listen to local people and GPs - it will be the opposite.

In terms of the concerns around local pharmacies in Crouch End being adversely affected - the Trust seems to be talking to them about them forming a collective to run the new pharmacy themselves. If this could come to fruition that would be a good way forward and an inclusive one. I haven't heard recently from the local pharmacies - so I hope that it is as we were told at the meeting.

Lastly - transport. You couldn't choose a worse placed site for lack of public transport. Only one bus now runs there. I have twice met with Peter Hendy, Commissioner of Transport in London on this issue - as the last thing we should be creating is more car journeys or poor access to such a facility for local people. On each occasion Peter has said - when it is a live project - let me know.

Well - with financial closure this is very live! And as my Lib Dem colleague Cllr Gail Engert (Muswell Hill) pointed out - it takes Transport for London a couple of years generally to get going on a new route (let alone the decade it took for the 603). So after the meeting I suggested to Richard that now is the moment to really push the transport aspect forward.

More generally - Richard Sumray has promised that over the coming weeks and months we will be given specifics and be consulted on this. I have over the recent weeks put out a health survey door to door (cos not everyone goes to these meetings or even hears about them) and part of the health survey is about what local people want at Hornsey Hospital. When they all come back - I will be feeding in the views to the Health Trust too.

Labels: gail engert, hornsey central hospital, nhs, peter hendy, richard sumray, tfl

Once more the long fought for, hard won - but still inadequate - 603 Muswell Hill to Swiss Cottage bus route is in the frame! Having met with Peter Hendy, Commissioner of Transport a couple of weeks ago - and harangued him over having more operating hours for the 603 (as I always do) - post meeting it transpired that a review is in train (or in bus to be more accurate).

So I have written to Peter Hendy as below - and would encourage everyone who agrees that the 603 should firstly be retained, and secondly have its hours of operations expanded to either write to me at House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA or email me at featherstonel@parliament.uk and I will pass on all responses to Peter Hendy.

They consult with stakeholders (local authority etc) but if you ask me - it's the people who use or need this route who are the real stakeholders - so make sure you have your say too!


Dear Peter

At our recent meeting when I raised the issue extending the hours of operation of the 603 (as I always do!) you said that the route would be coming up for review and that you would let me know more about it. So I thank you for following up on that discussion – but – the information subsequently passed to me by your office alarmed me.

Far from ‘coming up for review’ it would seem that the 603 is actually under review at the moment. The message I received says that views of stakeholders have been sought already.

Views of stakeholders like the Local Authority and other organizations (which I assume are the sort of stakeholders referred to) are undoubtedly important – but surely in this case – where the route is a response to local peoples’ need (only met to a small extent by a school hours bus) – Transport for London would want to know from those local people what demand is there for both the existing hours and extensions to those hours.

I would like your assurance that no decisions will be taken before I have had the chance to inform my constituents of the review – and given them the opportunity to feed in their views. And I would like an assurance from you that you will take their views on board.

As you know, I believe that this service is highly valuable and personally believe it should be extended through the day and evening.

I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Lynne Featherstone MP
Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Hornsey and Wood Green

Labels: 603 bus, peter hendy, tfl

Wednesday evening met with Peter Hendy, Commissioner of Transport for London. My three asks were: extending the 603 bus route to run all day and evening (as always); the transport issues around the new London Health Trust plans including the polyclinics (we need to ensure there are good public transport links for any such); and whether he would think about encouraging car clubs (where people share cars) via a congestion charge incentive.

So - number 1 - the 603 bus from Muswell Hill to Swiss Cottage. Well - the possibly good news is that it comes up for review next year. So our job is to make sure we feed into that review with thousands of requests to extend the operating hours from its current school run times only. People keep asking me about this - so we will have to ramp up our campaign again.

On number 2 - well it was interesting - because there are huge transport implications in the proposals to restructure health services. Firstly - the need to access in emergency for stroke, heart attack and major trauma the proposed super-specialist hospitals. Surely travel time trials from every part of London need to be done to establish the worst scenario time taken when traffic is bad and no air ambulance available? If we can't get the victims to the right place in time - then this plan won't work.

Secondly, the establishment of polyclinics - which are to serve up to 50,000 residents - may raise big transport issues. Will people be able to get to the polyclinics in reasonable time and at reasonable cost?

Peter was saying that this could be an issue and was going to arrange to meet with the Government to talk over the transport implications. Hurrah!

On number 3 - yes - Peter is considering how best to encourage the expansion of car clubs - so he agreed to look at the congestion charge in that regard - but I think any discount will be along the lines of discounts to people within the zone but not outside. Anyway - it is in and on his mind.

Update: you can read my article subsequent article about polyclinics here.

Labels: 603 bus, nhs, peter hendy, polyclinics, tfl

Mosey along to the 'consultation' on the plans for Parkland Walk. It would seem from the number of times that officers told me that the priority for the walk was its role as a nature reserve followed by a walk for pedestrians - that the message has got through from we local people.

The fear was that Haringey Council - in order to get the dosh from Transport for London (from their cycling department) - were going to turn Parkland Walk into a commuter cycle track. I had, subsequent to hearing local peoples' concerns, got with a Freedom of Information request documentary evidence that indeed that was what the Parkland Walk money was for.

Having put this in the public domain and got loads and loads of people to give me their views on the then proposals (which I forwarded to the Council consultation), it would now seem from looking at today's plans that the Council has taken note. Mainly the grant now seems to be being proposed to be used for improving access, patching paths, putting in drainage and introducing better signing.

It was still quite hard to tell what surface material they were proposing for the patching of the paths - as they displayed a range of about four - with no indiction of their favourites.

If the work goes ahead as displayed - outside of a bit of concern about the steps that will be replaced by ramps for cycles, wheelchairs and buggies - it looks OK.

So - fingers crossed!

Labels: parkland walk, tfl

A quick update on the saga of the Finsbury Park sign that puts Highbury & Islington on the Northern Line - Tim O'Toole from Transport for London has got back in touch with me:

Dear Lynne

I refer to your email dated 5 June and addressed to Peter Hendy. I have been asked to respond.

The sign is certainly misleading and the local Group Station Manager has arranged to have it amended.

The comment [on your blog] posted by Mr Mark Valladares, is indeed correct. The line from Finsbury Park to Moorgate was, until the 1970s, a spur ofthe Northern line. This is the type of quirk one finds on such an oldsystem and that is treasured by the cognoscenti. You are right toexpect us to eliminate such items, however.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Yours sincerely

Tim O'Toole

Now that's what I like - Tim O'Toole, hands on and dealing with it! Thanks Tim and all hail the power of the internet!

Labels: peter hendy, tfl, tim o'toole

Met with Streetcar. This is a car club. For those who don’t know - car clubs are just that. You become a member of the club and you can 'buy' access to a car, which will be stationed relatively near to you for an hourly, or 24 hour fee. It's secured with a sort of version of the Oyster Card that unlocks the door - and then you have a pin number to feed into a gismo that removes the immobiliser and releases you the key to start it up.

There was one (well two actually) parked on the special on-street spaces reserved by the council in Islington (Lib Dem run of course!) for the car club – which is being enthusiastically backed by the council. Car clubs typically remove 20 private cars for each one of their cars. It is economic to the club member (only pay for a car when you need it), great for reducing congestion and car parking stress - and research amongst members demonstrates that people drive less miles per annum than they did when they owned their own car.

So - Cllr Ed Butcher (Lib Dem, Stroud Green) and I were meeting with Streetcar to see how they were progressing with breaking into the Haringey market. Opening gambits have been made - but I am sure Ed will be seeking to help them on their way. Transport for London gives funding to boroughs to promote the introduction of car clubs - so where there is money Haringey can be directed!

Labels: ed butcher, oyster, tfl

You would have thought Transport for London would know where their own tube stations are ... but as this photo of one of the signs at Finsbury Park shows, they don't! (Here's a hint: Highbury and Islington isn't on the Northern Line...). Time for a quick email to TfL methinks...

Labels: tfl

Well, well, well! So when the hundred and fifty or so residents who came to the recent Area Assembly asked Haringey Council whether the fact that the funding for Parkland Walk came from Transport for London’s cycling department meant that they wanted increased cyclists and increased speeds and the Council said no - they were comprehensively mislead (and that is a polite term) - and the Labour councillors present just sat their silent.

How do I know we were misled? Well – I’ve bunged in a freedom of information request to see what (Labour-run!) Haringey Council really said in its bid submission to Transport for London and the results have just come back.

And the bid from the Council actually says that Haringey Council wants to increase cycling speeds on the Parkland Walk through "decreasing journey times for cyclists" and to "increase in the number of people cycling".

From the details of the bid, Haringey Council clearly have been given this money to turn the Parkland Walk into a cycle speedway – but they haven’t admitted this to residents. Now - I could point to a hundred roads in the borough where the cycling provision is poor to dangerous and yet Haringey went for £400,000 for a cycling speedway that’s clearly quite inappropriate for Parkland Walk. The Council should have consulted residents before (yes – before you make the decision, that’s what really consultation means) they entered into this pact with Transport for London.

This issue just runs and runs!

Note: You can still take part in my online survey on the future of Parkland Walk.

Labels: parkland walk, tfl

I've now written to Peter Hendy at Transport for London about the plans for Parkland Walk. You can read my letter here.

UPDATE: You can take part in my online survey now at http://www.libertyresearch.org.uk/take/103

Labels: parkland walk, peter hendy, tfl

Yes - stuff is happening outside of the elections across the nations but not London - and tonight it was off to the Crouch End, Hornsey & Stroud Green Neighbourhood Assembly. The big issue of the night is the proposals for improving Parkland Walk. Now - you have to realise that this linear park / nature reserve is loved and there is an army of people who fight to protect it against all harm (even when well-meaning). There are clearly areas which could do with a bit of improvement - as David Warren, Chair of the Friends of Parkland walk made clear: the drainage, signing and repairing broken steps and improving access for people with disabilities and mothers with babies.

The deep suspicion that was voiced by many in the packed meeting was that the funding for the improvements comes from Transport for London's cycling improvement budget. And what was crystal clear from the meeting, was that whilst recreational / occasional cyclists are just about welcomed (who don't speed, are polite and aren't commuters), a significant increase in cycling would be absolutely terrible. Spend the money on cycle lanes on roads - that's where it's needed to improve cycling shouted the crowd.

Whilst officers tried to reassure the public that the improvements would not 'widen' the path, the meanders would be left in and that there would be no attempt to create a 'smooth cycle way' but only patching the path where necessary - the public did not seem reassured.

And I wasn't convinced either. So I will be writing to Transport for London to ask what they believe from Haringey's bid will be provided for improvements for cycling on Parkland Walk - and to Haringey for sight of the bid itself.

To turn it into a cycle path or encourage more or faster cyclists would be completely wrong. Yes - we want more cycling in London - but we want proper cycle lanes on roads for commuters - not bunging them off road to spoil the idyll of this woodland nature reserve and the rights of pedestrians to enjoy it without fear of being hit!

UPDATE: You can take part in my online survey now at http://www.libertyresearch.org.uk/take/103

Labels: parkland walk, tfl

Off to the launch this morning of a new bus safety initiative which will see eighteen Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) on duty in and around transport hubs - kicked off this morning at Turnpike Lane Bus Station.

It is an extension of the partnership between Transport for London (TfL) and the Met Police brokered by the Greater London Authority (GLA). The reason for it? Well, if you map crime - you would quickly find that the hot spots are transport corridors and transport hubs – particularly around the time schools come out and at night (especially Friday and Saturday nights I believe). So this scheme puts more people in uniform on site to deter and tackle crime.

Very welcome, especially as when I have been knocking on doors in Wood Green, the absolute most common issue raised with me is that of crime and fear of crime. We should all be able to go out and onto transport without fear. This move is a real step forward – hurrah!

Labels: crime, tfl

You might know that changes are planned to the timetable of the W3 bus, which goes from Finsbury Park past Alexandra Palace through Wood Green to Northumberland Park.

Transport for London would like to make it a 24 hour service, with buses running in both directions, every half hour, throughout the night.

Obviously this will benefit many people, as it will help night-shift workers to get home without having to drive, which should bring down the amount of night-time car noise and pollution. It will also help party-goers get home safely and should discourage people from drink driving.

However, the buses themselves could also cause more night-time noise and vibrations and some people on the route might be worried that their sleep could be disturbed.

Transport for London are currently consulting on the plans and I really think that local people’s concerns should be part of that. I believe that decisions are always best made at a local level, by the people who will be most closely affected.

So if you have any opinions on the scheme, positive or negative, please let me and I will pass them on to TfL. Their consultation finishes on 27 April 2007, so please get back to me before then - either by commenting below or by contacting me direct.

Labels: tfl

Briefing for the London MPs by Transport for London (TfL). Felt like my old stomping ground as five years on the GLA’s Transport Committee stands you in good stead for knowing just what they are talking about.

What glared at me was the lack of planning for capacity increases to cope with the increased transport demands coming from Mayor Ken's housing program for London.

We get the houses (much needed) but not the infrastructure to go with it - in this case the extra public transport.

The other glaring issue is the set of glitches (polite term) for the PPP tube contracts. I've asked for the performance statistics - as it might very well appear that the failure rate is once more increasing. One wonders whether we are even getting the bangs for bucks that were contracted for - let alone what we might have been aspiring to.We'll see when the stats come through.

Other than that it was really TfL's projections and planning up to 2025. Yes - it's all the right words - but in the end it’s the dosh that will make the real difference.

Labels: tfl

Hurrah! Transport for London is finally proposing to extend the 102 bus route by giving it a half-hourly service at night.

My Lib Dem colleague Cllr Gail Engert (Muswell Hill, my old ward!) has been campaigning for this - so congrats to Gail.

You can read more in the story on my website - including crucially how you can have your say on these plans.

Labels: gail engert, tfl

Main event of the day was a public meeting organised by Save Hornsey Hospital Campaign titled 'Save Local Health Services under Threat' - which they most certainly are.

I was chairing the meeting and there were a number of speakers, including a really impressive doctor Jacky Davis who told it how it is. She laid out quite clearly the scenarios which are leading to the privatisation of the NHS and demonstrated the harmful effect that so called 'patient choice' has had in letting the private sector cherry pick - whilst the NHS (our NHS) is left with less funds and all the difficult cases.

We also had Maria Duggan - a local health expert and local resident - who spoke passionately about the death of services for older people in the west of Haringey. We have very high numbers of older people in the wards in the west of the borough - more than in the east - and yet no council facilities grace the west.

The long-promised all singing all dancing replacement facility for older people that was meant to be delivered in exchange for stopping the campaign to save Hornsey Central Hospital has never materialised.

In fact, the only bit of the proposals to supply beds for older people on the site has collapsed - a mix between Haringey Council withdrawing their sponsorship of that bit and the Primary Care Trust (PCT) taking so long and changing tack so many times that the Council gave up trying to work with them.

The Lib Dems have been campaigning for 'Action Now' on Hornsey Central Hospital after the six years of broken promises. Our fight is to make sure that health services are finally delivered – and that the development is about what is needed and wanted locally.

Shirley Murgraff - a long-standing community campaigner - tried to get across the urgency and extent of what was happening in the NHS and to get people signed up to the National Campaign to Keep the NHS. Richard Stein laid out the legal possibilities of challenging what is happening.

Sue Secher, Sue Hessel and Janet Shapiro all gave rousing speeches and more people are needed to sign up to the campaign. There are a number of fronts to be fought on – from pressurising Haringey Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee to making sure everyone local to Fortis Green clinic is aware that they can now put in their two pennies worth on its proposed closure.

There was a representative from the PCT there who tried to say that they were consulting. But as the 'discussion' (she was careful to make this distinction) will only be advertised through the newspaper or on lampposts – so there will be another job to do to make sure that people really know what is going on.

The bid to the Government for £7million towards the cost of the new proposed health facility on the Hornsey Central Hospital site will soon be decided. Together with £3.5 million from a LIFT project and the sale of two clinics and some land - this delivers the £14 million funding for the new facility. Of course - the problems are around how much will be private and what will be additional rather than shuffling deckchairs.

The Liberal Democrats have a 5-point plan for Hornsey Central if the bid comes in - which is why I have supported the bid. My pragmatic stance is: let’s get the £7 million and then fight to get what local people want out of it. To get the money we have to jump through some of the Government’s hoops – however much we might disagree with them.


The five points are:

1. More GPs and clinic sessions provided - not just the existing GPs and clinics we already have reshuffled and centralised. There needs to be a real dialogue between the PCT and local GPs to ensure what is provided is wanted by the practices. It is essential that coverage of GPs and GP practices across the area remains and that there is a net gain.

2. Real engagement and consultation with patients, residents, voluntary organisations and health workers over the development and relocation of services. As the promise was originally to replace the services for older people - their needs must be addressed and therefore full engagement with older residents is a priority.

3. Improved public transport to Hornsey Hospital, to ensure it is accessible – particularly for older people and parents with young children. The PCT needs to work with Transport for London to get existing bus routes extended to reach the site and the W2 route reinstated as a minimum.

4. Protect our community pharmacies by working with existing pharmacists and carrying out an impact assessment before opening a new pharmacy at the Hospital.

5. Ensure that the proceeds of any land or property sale go back into site.

This is not an exhaustive list and there are lots of pitfalls and dangers - but at least if we can fight for net gain and proper, and I mean proper, engagement - then just perhaps we can squeeze something out of the current disaster.

Anyway - top marks to the Save Hornsey Central Hospital campaigners who had worked so hard to get this meeting together. It can be very hard work to get people informed and out of their houses - but the hall was packed and the passions ran really high.

Labels: hornsey central hospital, nhs, tfl

Yesterday I met the Leader of Camden Council, Keith Moffat, in Highgate Village to make him see for himself how destructive Camden's proposals to stand buses outside the restaurants on South Grove would be. If Transport for London will consider the Highgate Society's plan to move the whole caboodle - this might turn into a golden opportunity to sort the village out. Fortunately, Keith saw immediately the problem and promised to look into the issue further.

It's the subject of my latest column:

The plan to start parking buses alongside the restaurants in Highgate Village is insane. The bus stands should never have been sited 30 years ago in the middle of the Village on the opposite side of the road from the restaurants anyway - but to propose parking them on the same (south) side as the restaurants ... !

You can read the full piece on my website.

Labels: tfl

Happy Birthday to me! Happy birthday - well more accurately - to my blog! Three years old today. I do sometimes wonder who reads it. I know several thousand different people do a month - but I don't know if it serves the primary purpose that I started it for. I wanted to give an account of myself and my actions as an elected public servant - particularly to my local residents so that they could see what I did with my time and the role which they had elected me.

Obviously, over time, blogs have become source of fodder for media and opponents, the wider party et al. And now are the flavour of the month. I've started doing small films too - to see if that makes 'politics' more digestible and I note this morning that Dave ‘I'm a nice guy’ Cameron is doing 'home' movies on his new blog. His children are young now and he may think they look cute and seeing him at home makes him more digestible - but he risks abdicating his right to his childrens' privacy if he uses them for political advantage. Dangerous territory.

Anyway - back to my Blog Birthday: I've had a look through some of my old entries (the very first should be in the running for an award for least interesting first blog posting I think!).

Most interestingly - lo and behold, the entry for 6th October 2003 is about travel planning - and now three years on, travel planning appears to be on our doorsteps in Hornsey & Wood Green. I had an irate email from a local resident who campaigns on various issues to ask if I thought that there was a plot to target rich car owners as everyone in western Haringey was being asked to consider their travel planning.

I got a letter myself - and actually I welcome this move, because travel planning is all about making it eaiser for people to use public transport by helping them figure out how the journeys they normally take by car would work out using public transport. It's often much easier and quicker to use public transport than people think - so you need to work with people one by one to show them how their own journeys would work on public transport. Where this has been done - e.g. in Perth, Australia - it's been very successful. Let people be free to make their own choices - but make sure they have the full information to make those choices. Very liberal!

If you read that old blog entry, you can see what my thinking was back three years ago when I was championing travel planning and nagging Transport for London to get pilots up and running.

I am writing to Peter Hendy to ascertain that this is what the letters and surveys in my constituency are about - but I'm pretty sure that's what is going on and if so - hurrah. It's a qualified 'hurrah' though - until I find out how they are doing it, what resource they are putting into it and what shift they are expecting. But basically - this is really good news - and it's only taken three years to permeate - not bad!

Labels: peter hendy, tfl

Surgery all morning at Wood Green Library. Got more information now about the death of Joyce Vincent - the woman found in a Wood Green flat having been dead for two to three years. She had been housed by the Metropolitan Housing Association. In the end it was their bailiffs who went in because of the need to repossess the flat due to rent arrears. Her rent had been party paid by benefits and, I believe, started off in credit. Anyway - seemed to me that three years was a very long time to wait to chase up money owing and neighbours reported that usually - if they owed money - Metropolitan was on to them quite quickly. Well - I had an example walk through my surgery door where Metropolitan were going for eviction after three months of a new tenant. I am trying to stop it because - as is so often the case – the problem was with their benefits not being paid properly. But the point is - if they were so quick off the mark in this instance, what happened to make them wait three years in Joyce Vincent's case? A question for the Chief Exec next week at our meeting I think.

Rush on to a meeting of Highgate Woods Committee (run by Corporation of London and local residents who are community minded). I just really wanted to show my support for the work of these dedicated souls who watch over our precious woods and care on our behalf. Highgate Woods are beautiful - they have that special atmosphere that you only get in woodlands (Queens Wood has it too). Sometimes I think we don't really know how lucky we are - or all use it to best advantage. In fact the Corporation are to do a survey around people who live near the woods. I think it will be very interesting to learn what use people who live right there make of the woods - and if they don't, why they don't. Up to now surveys have been of users. Just as with buses - my old argument with Transport for London bus surveys was that they were always preaching to the converted in their surveys. What you really want is a survey that goes to everyone who lives within 5 minutes of a bus route to discover why they are not using their local services.

Anyway - I told the committee that I had actually mentioned Highgate Woods in my maiden speech - albeit only to mention that that is where I used to play kiss chase with other kids from Highgate Primary!

Just a footnote on the rolling news re Charles Clarke and the released murderers, rapists and so on. Several have now turned up and turned out to have been reconvicted for new offences. I'm sorry but this is hardly a surprise when there is a recidivist rate of 60% within two years. This was inevitable. And as to the view that Clarke is the best person to sort this out and therefore he should stay in post - this is a ridiculous hypothesis. Firstly - he didn't tackle it effectively - even though he knew. Secondly it would seem that there is a view that there is no one better who could take his place anyway - a sad reflection if the case.

(You can sign the petition calling for him to go at www.libdems.org.uk/charles-clarke.html)

What I will say for Charles is that he has not tried to shift the blame to his Ministers. 'Cos basically it's the two Macs. McNulty and McTaggart in the Commons and Baroness Scotland in the Lords who between them have the responsibility for prisons and immigration. Clarke is right to take it on his shoulders - for that at least, I give him credit.

Labels: charles clarke, joyce vincent, tfl

Give live interview to LBC on London Underground's move towards introducing the technology that will allow mobile phones on the tube.

I remember arguing with Tim O'Toole (MD London Underground for Transport for London) when I was still on the London Assembly - and we then came out against them as he could not reassure me about the risks involved following the Madrid bomb - which was set off by a mobile phone. And I had a sneaky suspicion that the risk might be being minimised befause of the very attractive revenue stream that accompanies mobile phones.

However, time has passed. I am more reassured than I was - and on balance the benefits of being contactable during an emergency or even if scared outweigh the fears. Also - as we now know - the Madrid bomb was set off by the timing device - and so didn't need a signal anyway.

On a personal note however, those bloody ringtones. Now - there really will be no hiding place.

Labels: tfl, tim o'toole

Digital Conference on Thursday. I am not sure how I got to be keynote speaker at this breakfast at the RSA - but here I am. The company that invited me - Panlogic - turns out to have come across me through one of their directors living in the constituency, reading my blog and visiting my website. As the research they are launching today is basically about e-marketing and demonstrates that the age group between 50 and 65 (us ex-hippies with conscience, peace and love man) are still desperately caring people who want to engage in issues and change things for the better. I think their research is spot on.

Day of two speeches really. In the evening I go to one of those wonderful old city halls as keynote speaker at the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers' Dinner. To you and me - a black cab evening. I am hand-clapped in with the 'Master' and other honoured guests in time honoured tradition. I get a quick briefing on how I will address the company. Dinner is enjoyable and I am lucky in that the guest to my right, the Master and the Master Clock Maker (a woman on the other side of the Master) are all absolutely delightful company. In fact, Diana, turns out to have been a constituent but has moved away now. She is a wonderful example of the changing face of the city in that she is the first-ever female Master Clock Maker - and that spans about four centuries.

Anyway, I am there to give a speech after dinner. I have crafted it quite carefully as the LTDA (one of the representative groups for drivers) has previously attacked me for saying there are not enough cabs around due to a driver shortage. They counter-claimed saying that you never have to wait longer than 19 seconds to hail a taxi in central London. Tell that to poor Susan Kramer who waited 25 minutes outside Parliament only this last week! It was rubbish - but there is a kind of jobs for the boys section of the trade who do not actually want to reach the targets set by Transport for London. Last year when I annoyed them evidence had gone to the Transport for London Board showing that there was a shortage of 1,200 black cabs and 4,500 private hire cabs. The concern has to be that if there are not legitimate cabs to hand - people will use the touts with all the dangers that entails.

I wafted across the need to crack down on touts, the Olympics and told my David Blunkett joke. And then home. Or so I thought. Having come by Tube, I got on the Tube home. But - hey ho - it's the Northern Line and the Barnet branch was suspended. So I got off at Camden and after half an hour waiting for my 19-second taxi I got back on the Tube and went to Golders Green. No 210 and no taxi. Dying of cold and now about quarter to one in the morning, I phoned a private hire company and eventually a mini-cab came for me.

Labels: david blunkett, olympics, susan kramer, tfl

Morning in surgery as usual. And then go to meet the temporary Chief Exec of Haringey Council about two families waiting to be re-housed. Both these families have a disabled child and both are desperate to be re-housed because - as the children have grown up (one is now 11) - carrying them up narrow stairs has become impossible. Have called this meeting because have simply been getting the run-around from Haringey Council. And I simply don't believe that no three-bedroom house has come up in the five years that family one has been waiting!

The Chief Exec is there with the officer in charge of allocations. Clearly on the defensive – but also didn’t get all their facts rights. The contents per se of the meeting has to remain confidential at this moment in time - but both families are now well and truly at the top of the agenda. Whilst they have totally different situations - at least the publicity and effort will hopefully sort this out soon.

What I was under-whelmed with was the idea that Haringey can try to so easily wash its hands of a family. It is disgusting. Furthermore, I don't believe no houses have come up in the last five years that could not, with a bit of work, have been made suitable. The policy of having to wait for an adapted house in every case is ridiculous if you are not creating adequate facilities for those with disabilities in the first place.

I have never managed to get 'evidence' as yet as to why some people get allocated what they want and others wait years in seemingly equivalent situations. If anyone can ever bring me evidence rather than rumour that some people are getting round the system, I would be very happy to take it further - but without actual evidence it is impossible to prove.

Then off I go to see the last part of a Mobility Exercise Programme in Hornsey where some of our older citizens are being taught exercises in a class which keeps them mobile and probably saves the NHS a fortune in medical bills. It is just wonderful.

I have been brought in by the teacher for two reasons. One: the funding has been cut and is running out - so a weekly class is now once every two weeks and floundering. And two: there is no transport in the whole area in and around the Campsbourne Estate - so people are having trouble getting to the class. The council officers are there - and having heard I was coming had already broached the subject with Transport for London. I feel a hopper bus coming on. Similar situations in the east of the borough I understand have hopper buses to help those on the estate get to the shops and around and about - so we want the same!

And then – it’s home - and a weekend off. I know - shock horror. I have struck through one weekend per month in my diary - otherwise there is no time off. One danger though – my younger daughter will make me go shopping with her. It's cheaper to just keep working!

Labels: nhs, tfl

I make an informal, private visit to Red Gables. Red Gables is the wonderful, wonderful, family centre in Crouch End - organically evolved over years to provide what users want. And between the Labour Government and the Labour Council they want to close it and devolve its services to elsewhere. This comes on the back of Government funding for 18 new childrens' centres across the borough. Sounds great - except the new centres can only be in 'deprived' areas - but there are lots of pockets of deprivation in the Crouch End area and it serves the whole area. 'Deprived' children come to this centre of absolute excellence. The services it provides are too many to list - but all manner of challenges are met and met well.

Given there are to be 18 'new' centres - which in reality are not new but bits of other services cobbled together - you would think the logical answer would be to make Red Gables one of them, solving at a stroke the whole business.

Anyway - I meet the staff (who are obviously desperate for the place to stay open). They clearly love their work, the place and its achievements. There is a 'consultation' going on by Haringey Council with the users as a result of the huge protest and campaign to save Red Gables. The consultation is with users, and when completed next week we are told that the officers will analyse the data and then advise the Council Executive (all Labour) what to do.

I spend a little time with the children and mums just arriving for the drop in playgroup and then off I go.

At 4pm CNN come to my house to do an interview on terrorism and the Government’s continual curbing of our civil liberties are being raided. Now you can't even say that Jack Straw is talking nonsense without being forcibly removed and then the police using Section 44 of the terrorism Act to stop you re-entering a building. Free speech - certainly not under Blair!

In the evening, there’s a Buffet, tour and presentation by the Community Partnership Board for the proposals (thus far) for the Hornsey Town Hall. It's certainly moving in the right direction and the people involved in the panel are completely committed to the project’s success - but as ever - the proof of the pudding will come when we learn where the funding will come from (i.e. how much from development and how much from public funds) and whether the Council is willing at the end of this process for the whole caboodle to be handed over to an independent community trust - which is the Lib Dem position (along with that of many other people).

Sadly and ironically, I get to talk to people for an hour and then have to leave after only seeing a short bit of the actual presentation (I have the written version to take home) as I have a meeting with Peter Hendy (Director of Surface Transport at Transport for London) at which the top item on my agenda is transport for the Hornsey Town Hall site.

I am asking him to agree in principle to three main things. As nothing is agreed for the site as yet specifics are out of the question. However, the nagging is for: agreement in principle to supply extra public transport to serve the site; agreement in principle to a process of engagement by Transport for London with the Community Partnership Board on the transport issues for the site; and agreement in principle to look at free transport for those going to an event on the site on production of ticket to that event.

As we are also having dinner I get the business out the way at the front end. I have written out my longer list which includes bus links for Crouch End to both Highgate Tube (especially now that it has a CPZ and so more people need public transport to get there) and to the top of Highgate Village. I nag about the crossing for Archway Road opposite the tube entrance where the steps are where a woman got killed recently, the extension of the 603 Muswell Hill to Hampstead and Swiss Cottage bus route and various other issues. Peter thinks the Town Hall stuff will be fine and will respond to me in writing point by point down my list. So business over - time to eat and gossip...

Labels: 603 bus, controlled parking zones, jack straw, peter hendy, tfl

Surgery all morning. Variety of cases - but the Dukes Avenue humps are still giving cause for concern. Until such time as Lib Dems take over the council, the sort of cock-ups created by Labour are impossible to properly correct.

There was an agreed plan for the area which took three years to get the agreement for. But then when some residents objected to part of the works, the council introduced significant changes to the plans – without proper consultation - and – just to add to the fun – designed badly the some of the changes. So one road after another spoke up and said it wanted the plans for its bit changed and many of those who liked the original plans are now unhappy too! And now it seems everyone is writing or coming to see me. So - the current situation is that there has been another consultation. The results are being analysed at the moment.

Meanwhile, I will continue to fight for holistic planning. I will suggest to my councillor colleagues if/when we take control after next May’s elections, that we plan better than Labour and that when there is an agreed solution we stick to it. We also need to get Transport for London to look again at the journey times for buses on Colney Hatch Lane as so many people email me with how delightful it is when the lights don't work.

In the afternoon, just one meeting - with TNG, a skill and training group who operate nationwide but seem to do really good work in Haringey. I am particularly interested in the mentoring work they do with youngsters who have had ASBOs served on them. ASBOs are a last resolution – and don’t do anything to bring their subjects back into society - which would be my aim. They agree to send more material on this to me.

And that's nearly it. My holiday plans have changed - I was going away in August but now I am going mid-August to mid-September - so instead of blogging off for August as usual, I'll be taking a break in a couple of weeks time instead.

Labels: tfl

First meeting today is with Cllr Judy Bax who is chairing the Community Partnership Board, the group developing the plan for the Hornsey Town Hall’s future. I am still convinced that the only way this site is ever going to be a community facility is for this group to succeed and Crouch End for People, Hornsey Trust and all of us to work together to deliver that.

Having now met with both Hornsey Trust and the Community Partnership Board, there still is resistance to working together - so the Community Board must push on and succeed. If they can build a cinema to start with and retain at least a good chunk of the car park, they will at least be demonstrating to all the people who signed Town Hall petition that their intentions are honourable. My concern is that the first part of the site to be developed will be housing or whatever - and then a three year gap before we see what is really wanted - the arts, leisure and community facility part of the site.

Of course, the argument will be that you can't do the good community bits without the funding by the development bits.

Anyway - my part in this is to support the journey from council control to trust and harangue and lobby for the community bits - and to lobby at high level for transport links at an early stage.

This is followed by a long, long interview by MORI. Too long and boring to go into - but basically a number of big companies - including Transport for London (TfL) and British Nuclear Fuels to name but two - want to know what I know and think of them. TfL’s ears would be burning!

In the afternoon I go to Landrock Road to join local campaigners campaigning against another backland development site application by developers. It is unbearable what they are trying to do - cram four very expensive houses on a long, narrow, strip of land: totally inappropriate.

One hundred odd houses whose gardens back onto this strip of land will be blighted by this development. Currently there is a row of garages which the developer is letting dilapidate and won't rent out. Sometimes I just wish I had real dictatorial power to tell the developers to get lost! However, what I do is write to the Planning Department to let them know what I think.

Labels: planning issues, tfl

8am: meet key local campaigners over the Highgate Tube Control Centre. Tubelines want to improve the service on the Northern Line (good thing) but are doing this by putting a big ugly building in at the edge of Highgate Woods (bad thing).

We are meeting with Catherine McGuinness of the Corporation of London for a photo op and discussion. Tubelines has listened a bit to the campaign from residents living next to the site about their side of the site, but they have not taken, seemingly, a blind bit of notice of the damaging aspect towards the Highgate Woods side.

I assume this is because trees and squirrels can't complain? However, Cllr Bob Hare (Lib Dem, Highgate ward), the Highgate Society, the Corporation of London and me are speaking out on behalf of all those who use the woods, the trees, the squirrels and indeed the bats.

We release a joint statement for the press.

Then at 10am my last Mayor's Question Time at City Hall. I am sad to go - but as ever have a bit of a spat with Ken. Basically a skirmish over his failure since re-entering the Labour womb to deal effectively with the Tube PPP. The performance is abysmal and the private companies, in my view, unlikely to deliver even what was in their original bid. We are a Capital City - get us out of it! Ken has got to threaten more - and/or get us out of the contract at the Government's cost. Spending too much time fixing for us to use mobile phones on the tube - and none on getting the infracos to deliver the basic services!

Anyway - still sad to be leaving. I have just so enjoyed it all.

A couple of hours later I pop up to see Ken because I have promised residents campaigning on another issue to raise the issue with him. Ken and I chat for a while - and then he says - have you come to say goodbye? And I say no. I have come to request a deputation on the Highgate Tube station fence issue.

Ken has actually seen the fence and seems to totally agree and says he doesn't need a deputation - let's just deal with it. He drags me through to Redmond (right hand man's) office and we run through it. Redmond says he will contact Tim O'Toole (Transport for London) and ask him to take down the fence and see what he says.

Glad I won't be there to hear the expletives! - but this is Ken at his finest, actually standing up for what matters. I wait with baited breath.

In the evening, after my first three line whip vote in which melee I find myself next to Boris (my new best friend from Question Time) Johnson and ask him which is the 'ayes' and which is the 'noes' lobby? I clearly don't want to go the wrong way. Boris claims not to know … Very charming - but I don't believe a word.

Labels: bob hare, boris johnson, tfl, tim o'toole

Met with key group against the Highgate Tube fence which was erected by Tubelines / Transport for London after a meeting where the predominant voices won - but were not fully representative of people in the area. And even though Tubelines / TfL were warned immediately after the meeting that this was the case and a public meeting was then held - they still proceeded.

Now we have a fence blocking the green view from Archway Road and reflecting much noise (and possibly pollution) back on to the Archway Road as if residents and shops there don't already have enough to contend with. There’s a balance to be struck and it hasn't been struck right.

Upshot of meeting is that I am to arrange a deputation to the Mayor of London by these key stakehoders - and try and knobble Bob Kiley too.

Labels: tfl

I go into City Hall this morning for two meetings. The first with my MPA officer and my police researcher to prepare the planning for the next meeting of the panel I chair on Stop & Search (implementing the recommendations of the scrutiny). We also discuss the speech I am to make to about 150 police officers including all the borough commanders on 19th April.

Then a meeting with a Transport for London officer about the shenanigans that have been going on with the Immigration Service 'fishing' at stations etc. TfL have now stopped the practise and developed an agreed protocol on operations. The Immigration Service were being opportunistic and lazy in my view - as the TfL chap said far better that they should spend their time trapping illegal taxi touts as opposed to people just using public transport.

Now, as you may know – I'm not always Mayor Ken’s greatest fan! Someone points out to me Ken's revenge! He slags me off in the Socialist Worker. His ire has been stirred by Tariq Ali's support for me in Hornsey and Wood Green to oust 'warmonger Roche'. Ken used to be anti-war but now he's a Labour man. Not so much a Mayor for London as a Mayor for Labour.

I run out of City Hall and dash back to the Muswell Hill roundabout for a briefing of a raft of Police Officers and Community Support officers who are part of the Safer Neighbourhood Teams.

1,000 officers across five boroughs are taking part in five one day bursts where a whole raft of measures are used to deter, detect and reduce crime. It was fantastic. I have never seen so many officers in Muswell Hill and passers by may have taken fright in case there was some sort of crime wave that officers had been brought in for! I look forward to seeing the analysis of this operation when it comes for monitoring to the Performance Committee of the MPA on which I sit.

Then I rush home, log on. I had forgotten what happens when a General Election gets called and I am the candidate - emails flood in as do phone calls. I check for emergency ones - and then dash out to deliver leaflets for a few hours.

Rush back to do a pre-record radio interview on tomorrow's Mayor's Question Time – more on transport - then rush out again for another few hours delivering leaflets. I do rely on the election campaign to get fit and lose half a stone.

And as ever - back for emails, letters and of course - this blog!

Labels: mpa, tfl

Rush outside after Transport Committee to do a TV snippet on Bob Kiley's bonus and Oystercard.

Liberal Democrats finally got the figures and performance criteria of London's traffic supremo - only thanks to our request under the Freedom of Information Act. Mind you, I think it should be a matter of public record - after all Londoners are all paying!

Mr Kiley gets a basic of £312,000 per annum. And over the last two years, in each year he got a bonus of £275,000 (96% of the full bonus) and this year is expected to get as much as £365,000 bonus.

The criteria for the pay are extremely vague, flabby and flawed. For a start - we have no idea what Mr Kiley is meant to do for his basic salary. I would have thought quite a lot for that amount. And yet in the performance criteria we find things he has to deliver like increased bus mileage and reduced congestion. 'Scuse me - given the amount of extra buses we have all paid for over the last few years it would be a bit of a shock if bus mileage hadn't increased. Ditto for reducing congestion - with the Congestion Charge it seems to me that was the main point.

Another strand of Bob's bonus is helping to get borrowing from the government. This he has certainly delivered on and without Kiley I don't think the government would have trusted Ken to borrow money. Budgeting is not his strong point…

However - Lib Dems will now pursue what we should have got for our money out of Mr Kiley's basic salary and somewhat more specific targets for a bonus.

Call me old-fashioned - but I always thought a bonus was for doing extra well - not simply doing your job!

And of course the other biggy of the day was Oystercard packing up across London this morning. It wasn't down for long - but it's a good example of how things can go catastrophically wrong. (A corrupted disk Tim O'Toole had said in committee when I asked him to make a statement.)

Imagine if TfL had advanced the dream at this stage of everyone getting rid of their small change because you could buy bread and milk on Oystercard. Doris would have gone thirsty and hungry this morning.

After a Metropolitan Police Authority meeting, I rush to Transport for London to see Peter Hendy - supremo of all transport that runs on the surface of London.

This visit is about the Croydon Tram. There is a row between the guys running it and Transport for London. The people running the tram seem to believe that TfL may be trying to put them out of business by running competing bus routes. TfL think this is rubbish.

Peter (who is pretty robust) seems quite open to any suggestion from Croydon Tramlink about a way forward - but he certainly needs something from them on the table before any rescue plan could be brought forth.

And in the evening: with an election just around the corner - I do some telephoning!

Labels: peter hendy, tfl, tim o'toole

The tube! I am chairing the London Assembly’s Transport Committee this morning and Tim O'Toole came in to give evidence - Managing Director of London Underground (LU) for Transport for London - followed by the hard men of the private companies - the Chief Execs of Tubelines and Metronet.

There was recently an explosive exchange of bad will in the press between LU and the private companies. The Northern Line is failing appallingly and the engineering overruns on a Monday morning are becoming legendary.

Tube users are getting a raw deal. Improvements, such as they are, are small and slow - and some areas are getting worse. These guys - the three of them between them - share the blame.

In the press Tim O'Toole has basically said that the private companies are not putting resources in fast enough and are thinking about their profits (we anti-PPP brigade could have said 'told you so'!). There is a hint that he believes that the penalties that Metronet are incurring are not high enough and that it may be cheaper for them to overrun on a Monday morning causing misery for those trying to use the tube rather than finish on time.

With regard to the Northern Line - a new proposal from Tubelines made its public debut. It is clear to anyone who uses it twice a day (as I do - and yes I declare a great interest) that radical renewal and repair is called for. Apparently Tubelines have submitted a proposal to LU (Tim) which breaks the line into seven sections. Each section would be closed and totally redone, with the whole line taking about a year. The public will be consulted on this (or told about it) and replacement transport will be provided while each section is shut.

It's only a proposal - but it's the only game in town as far as I can see at the moment.

Anyway - there was a bit of a squabble about line closure per se - as this enables the private companies to do their engineering work more quickly and cheaper. Who reaps the financial benefit? LU (and I) think that we (the public) should get a refund on monies saved - but the private companies will undoubtedly find reasons not to pay it.

The other raging battle is over figures and discrepancies. In his media outburst, it was clear that Mr O'Toole believes (and the report to the TfL board says so) that only a tiny percentage of work promised on renewal or repair of stations and escalators etc has taken place. In committee both sides were shirty. I put it to both of them - and they equivocated about interpretation of figures to the point where they could both be right.

Just keep up the pressure - that's all I can do. The PPP is a dreadful contract and Tim O'Toole is doing a good job considering the pup he's been sold. I suspect his very public outburst on the performance of private companies came as a result of extreme frustration with a contract that puts him quite squarely between a rock and a hard place.

Labels: tfl, tim o'toole

Busy media day today. Splashed across Evening Standard front page is news of a 'leaked' document from the Assembly showing the appalling performance to date of the two private companies running the tube - and their manager, Transport for London.

I am really cross as it wasn't a 'leaked' document - it was just the background briefing for members of the Assembly Transport Committee (which I chair) who will be questioning Tim O'Toole (MD of the tube for Transport for London) and the two Chief Execs of the private company on Thursday when they come before me in public session.

Cross - because the witnesses will now be forewarned. We always give them the questions or subjects so that they can prepare their background. However, the point of a public session in scrutiny is to put them on the spot.

Give a long interview to Metro on the failings of the PPP. How long have you got? Late with almost everything they are contracted to do - from over-running engineering to station upgrades.

Thursday's session should be pretty interesting!

Also the Standard has taken my news release based on figures I have got hold of on how Capita (the Mayor's favourite contractor administering the congestion charge) has had to pay GBP 4.5 million in fines - that's GBP 7,400 per day. Even worse - the Mayor is going to extend their existing contract and almost certainly give them the contract for his westward extension to the congestion charge.

Well - given they are still missing 21% of their targets (improved from missing 35% previously) they are hardly going to kill themselves to improve when they know that seemingly whatever their performance they are going to be not only re-employed - but given new contracts.

It's in the Standard and I do an LBC radio pre-record on the Capita release. Transport for London telephone - absolutely furious. However, the figures came in official Mayoral answers to written questions I had submitted.

Red faces I understand at TfL - they are now saying they gave the wrong figures in the Mayoral answer.

Capita have only had to pay GBP 3.7 million in fines not GBP 4.5 million.

I am sure that makes all the difference - not!

Then - to my surprise - BBC want to tape me talking about Ken's climbdown over the Royal Ballet School. Happy to oblige. Ken has made a complete arse of himself by trying to use planning consent as a means to engineer his social policies - in this case the real sub-text being a view that a Royal Ballet School in a Royal Park is too posh and elitist.

My understanding is that this is rubbish as any budding Billy Elliott anywhere in the country aspires to come there - whatever the background.

Caught out, Ken is trying to assert that concessions by the school that they will make more strenuous efforts to attract diverse kids is the reason he has now been able to change his mind.

Last media call of the day is about the Parking Enforcement scrutiny I have instigated and been chairing at the London Assembly. We are in the process of writing up the evidence. It has become clear that the report will be ready in time for the April meeting - but if Blair calls the election - it might not be allowed to be published during that period.

There is some ruling somewhere that no one should gain any advantage from its publication. I would argue that it is the normal work of the Assembly and shouldn't be stopped. I will ask for a legal ruling on this in due course.

Back to Hornsey & Wood Green to whip round to various houses collecting envelopes and then mountain of emails and casework to attend to.

Labels: tfl, tim o'toole

Fun time at City Hall. Mayor Livingstone was in front of me giving evidence to the Transport Committee (which I chair) yesterday on his desire to raise the Congestion Charge by over half to £8.

This is the same Mayor who four years ago when he came before me on the first of my investigations into the Congestion Charge told London that it was necessary to reduce traffic by 15% in the central zone – this was the critical level at which London would work - for business, for residents, for buses and all.

And nothing has changed. The charge works fantastically well - and there is no sign of a creep back or rise in traffic in the central zone.

Now, his main argument for an increase in the charge was that he wanted to drive traffic down further - by between 17% and 21% and that an £8 charge would do it. This was blown out of the water today as buried in the Transport for London Board papers was the fact that traffic in the central charging zone is already at a 21% reduction.

So why increase the charge?

Ken’s arguments jiggle about. It's either about reducing traffic further for business OR it's about quality of life and reducing pollution OR it's about reassuring credit agencies that he is macho enough to raise money when needed for his borrowing OR it is to stop traffic creep back and so on…

It looks to me more like a simple cash grab.

Labels: ken livingstone, tfl

Walk into office to be greeted by howls of laughter from my press officer and office manager. Marina Hyde (Guardian Diary - which one tries to avoid coverage in) has been sent my Christmas Eve newspaper column.

It was just a bit of fun - a festive fairytale with a bit of political mischief (as the Ham & High billed it). It followed on from my last year's Christmas Fairy tale.

Anyway - Ms Hyde appeared concerned about my mental well-being and asked for reassurance which I gave later in the day along with the Doctor's suggested remedy of becoming a Member of Parliament to ensure no relapses.

Pop in to Budget Committee for the part on the transport budget. I decide at the end (when non-members of the committee can raise issues) to have a go over the Oyster card mess that has erupted over the holiday period, at the introduction of new fares. We need to get this sorted as Oyster is a great idea in which public confidence is being shaken by the number of cock-ups by Transport for London.

I note with some irony that the vast majority of cock-ups mean that TfL gets money it is not entitled to out of our pockets.

Labels: oyster, tfl

Assemble in the chamber for the three-minute silence. Brief speech by Ken followed by the silence. Many members and staff of the Assembly gathered. It feels appropriate to mark such an event with some formality.

Then, telephone interview with Transcalm.They are undertaking a marketing exercise to see how their 'magic' hump can best become a nice little earner. I inform the interviewer of my view that Dunlop were short-sighted (I may have used the term stupid) to have failed to take up the opportunities of a trial in Haringey.

Basically this road hump lies flat if you go over at the prescribed speed but remains a hump if you are speeding (as you pass over it too fast for it to deflate). I love the idea of rewarding good driving and punishing bad.

To date - the 'magic' hump has been trialled thus: two humps in a slip road in Puddle Dock. I suggest that they run it on a residential road in Haringey and/or a bus lane. When I set up a meeting to facilitate this in Haringey - the price they wanted to charge was still 50% of the normal price. Now these babies are not cheap - particularly in the short term - and the company who will make a mint if they take off should be willing to give a better deal than that to councils or authorities willing to give it a trial.

Then on to looking at Transport for London's overspend on their budget (for budget committee tomorrow). They are £70 million over - despite raised fares - and have lots of problems with Oyster card bugs. So if they are going to bug London's travellers, I am going to bug them about their bugs.

My other bugbear (excuse the pun) today is that London Underground have missed 4 out of 6 of their reliability targets. I got the answer to a Mayoral question and it's a sadly familiar pattern: targets missed, performance down. It just adds insult to injury when the tube fares are the highest in the world, have just been raised and this coincides with big cheese Bob Kiley's £51,000 rise and the tubeworkers' 5.2%.

Guess who isn't invited to the table - me and you. We pay more and get less. Bet Ken wouldn't use that as his manifesto message.

Labels: oyster, tfl

Plenary session of the London Assembly where we grill those stalwarts and London worthies responsible for our well-being in the aftermath of a catastrophic event in London.

London Resilience - the grouping tasked with our safety - is multi-headed and even after the session I am not totally convinced that we know who will lead in the event of an incident.

They say they are in control. They say anything that is not yet in place is on the way to being in place. We (LibDems) suggest that they produce a detailed instruction booklet as they have in New York. The New York one is great. It really makes you feel that you can prepare to the best of your ability and know what you need in your head, in your home and in your area. We should do the same. Happily, for once, the Assembly agrees and we pass a motion to produce one for London.

Latter off to St Martin's in the Fields for Transport for London's charity carol service for the transport world. An hour and a half of doing something I wanted to do. I normally don’t manage to get to any of the carol services I am invited to at this time of year due to pressure of work and my kids expecting Christmas on the 25th - no possibility of moving that deadline! But this year I am determined to get to one - and I do. It was not a wonder of the world, but it was nice to stop and have that experience in the run up to Christmas.

Labels: tfl

A day of interviewing applicants who have been shortlisted to become members of the London Transport Users Committee (LTUC) - who are accountable to the GLA. The quality of candidates is very high this time - and I am hopeful that when we make our decisions we will achieve a very capable body to represent London's Transport Users.

Later in the day Peter Hendy (Director of Surface Transport at Transport for London) came with entourage to see me in my office to brief me fully on what TfL are doing about fare dodgers.

They had been a bit put out by my recent exposure of just how many folk are nipping on our buses free of charge and seemingly, with just 1 in 700 being caught, pretty much total impunity.

Post briefing, I have some confidence that TfL are making strenuous efforts to deter the dishonest from taking free rides and that they do actually pursue to prosecution those who evade fares - particularly when persistent offenders.

I am reassured that the health and safety issues raised with me by a serving revenue protection inspector are being properly dealt with - and actually - when I think about it, there is no-one more keenly aware of the dangers faced by bus drivers and inspectors than Peter Hendy - who was practically born and raised on a bus!

I still think they have a job on their hands with the bendy buses and I will continue to monitor their efforts, because I get very cross when Ken breaks his pledges and puts up fares above inflation and hits the honest citizen when apparently doing relatively little about the dishonest fare dodger.

TfL say they are willing to look at the Lib Dem suggestion that the penalty be raised to GBP20 and then doubled and doubled if not paid. So we will see what the dodging rate is in a year's time … Meanwhile I will move my current attention to fare dodging to the tubes!

Then up to London's Living room for drinks with the Chair of the Assembly (Brian - I like regalia - Coleman) and Assembly Members and guests. It is such a beautiful venue - situated on top of City Hall with an almost 360 degrees view of London. Tower Bridge, which stands next to our building, the Tower of London, the Glass Gherkin and the lights of London are just a fabulous setting for any function.

Labels: brian coleman, peter hendy, tfl

Mayor's Question Time. I lead the charge today on fare evasion in London. 150 million fares have been dodged since Ken took office. Millions of pounds lost – with revenue inspectors only catching 1 in around 800 dodgers and us honest citizens having our fares banged up above inflation to help the Mayor out of his dodgy financial situation.

As ever, Ken gets annoyed about my inquisition and says you have to expect to lose some money. Only gets really cross when I point out to him that his new bendy buses are getting known as the 'free bus’ because it is so easy to jump on and off without paying.

At this point came an unexpected endorsement from the Mayor - who said: “Hopefully you are going to Parliament so I will not have to put up with your questions much longer.”

He loves me really...

Later in the day, had an interesting meeting with British Sugar. I know. When I saw it in my diary I thought why am I having a meeting about sugar. But did you know - you can turn it into a bio-fuel? Perhaps the way forward for energy renewables?

Clearly hitting a brick wall of 'can't do' at Transport for London who though interested appear immobilised on the issue, British Sugar have turned to us to help. I am intrigued as to what the obstacles really are as it seemed a pretty good thing for the Mayor to be seen to be getting involved in. Oh well - a bit of publicity and pressure and who knows?

Then a rush round meetings in the event. First, Hornsey Housing Forum as I want to add my two penny's worth on the future of council housing in Haringey. The recommendation to Haringey Council’s Executive will be to transfer the housing to an ALMO (Arms Length Management Organisation). Of course it will be sold in the ballot that this is the only option viable if Haringey wants the money the government is offering. (It’s really a form of blackmail as the government will only hand over the money if people chose one of its preferred options for the future of council housing). But the small print will say - yes - but you have to gain two star status for the housing service to be eligible for the dosh anyway. There's always a sting!

Then a Muswell Hill and Fortis Green Residents' Association meeting. Diane Dodd - who heads the volunteer operation for Muswell Hill Police Station - is there to update everyone on how the newly reopened front counter is doing and how she is working to extend the hours.

Labels: muswell hill police station, tfl

Polling day in the Fortis Green by-election.

I make myself get up, having lain awake all night waiting for my 4am alarm call. Delivering early morning leaflets is a real labour of love. But actually once you are up and out - if it's going to be a nice day it is a very beautiful time to be out and about. You get to see the dawn breaking and the world waking up. Call me an optimist.

Then rush off to City Hall to Chair Transport Committee. Today's special event is Transport for London coming to answer to their 5 year business plan. Their Head of Finance, Jay Walder (one of the infamous Americans) is in the spotlight. One of the real difficulties when you are chairing someone like Jay is, trying to curtail very long answers and explanations without being rude.

Witnesses often want to bring in the history of their decisions in answer to our questions - which is fine with an audience who don't know the situation. But the PR side is less useful for Transport Committee members from all parties who are all very experienced and knowledgeable on these issues already.

Anyway - my anxiety on that was simply to do with timing. We had an awful lot of questions we wanted answered in a relatively short time.

One of the key issues for the committee was the Mayor's fares strategy. Having listened to the back and forth explanations of TfL - topped by Jay's admission that they have created the most complicated fare structure in the world - I think they have got themselves in a mess over fares.

Their argument, to be fair, is that as electronic ticketing becomes more widespread it will allow them the flexibility to encourage the best use of the bus network’s capacity.

My view is that it just confuses the public - and as with Oyster at the moment, the public end up paying more as there is no cap on a day's usage. Flat fares are much better for the travelling public. The simpler the fare structure the better.

The next key issue was really about risk. The business plan has to make assumptions about fares rises and also the levels of government grant over the next four years. If nothing goes wrong or slips - the plan is viable and the loan agencies will stump up the £3 billion in borrowing.

The big question for the Committee was who underwrites the risk, e.g. if costs escalate. Couldn't really get an answer on this in plain English. I can't really see the government bailing us out if things go wrong – so the answer is Londoners, through their council tax bills, will have to shoulder most of the risk.

Whilst I’m a fan of bonds and of London government being able to borrow to fund the big transport improvements we need – in practice the government seems to be using the ability to borrow money as a cover for not giving London enough money directly.

And there were other issues - but enough is enough.

We passed the Assembly report on the West London Tram. We basically like the idea of a tram - but have serious concerns as to whether it will work. There are three key concerns: the suitability of the Uxbridge Road to take a tram down its middle; the viability of the business case (dodgy) and the lack of investigation into cheaper viable alternatives.

It was a good report based on substantive investigations and witness evidence. Needless to say - although sporting almost exactly the same concerns - the Greens and Labour brought out a minority report which is attached in the Appendices.

And we finally agreed the revised terms of reference for the Parking Scrutiny which begins in the New Year. The fun never stops.

Labels: oyster, tfl

Today, I publish a 'dossier' of the Mayor's missed targets.

The Mayor and Transport for London are set to miss six out of thirteen key transport targets set by Government according to the Transport for London Business Plan.

By 2010 a range of targets will be missed, including:

- Reducing congestion in London - it is set to increase by 8% from 2000 levels by 2010
-Cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% and CO2 emissions by 20% from 1990 levels to help Britain comply with the Kyoto Protocol
- Meeting National Air Quality strategy objectives for reducing the amounts of Nitrous Dioxide and Particulate Matter 10 in London's air

For all Ken's talk on reducing congestion, improving air quality and being a champion of the environment - he sure has failed to deliver.

Reducing congestion was Ken's flagship policy and yet the figures reveal that despite the huge success of the Central London Congestion Charge, the Mayor has not begun to even touch on congestion in other parts of London.

Nearly all the money has gone to supporting public transport to get people in and out of the centre so the Congestion Charge would work.

Well hurrah! It does - but there is virtually no improvement in public transport in outer London so people still - four years later - have no choice but to use their cars. And to add insult to injury - the five year business plan the Mayor is announcing today still says absolutely sweet FA on improving orbital public transport.

Later, off to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for a Black History month reception. My goodness! You wouldn't believe this building. Most of us wouldn't know it existed as it is in a private-ish road next to Downing Street.

As you go across courtyards into the Locarno Rooms - the overwhelming decoration and opulence of an era long gone are so in your face. Not my taste however, and jolly difficult to walk in high heels on mosaic tiles.

That having been said, it was a great juxtaposition to have a steel band playing in this bastion of British tradition. Speeches by Trevor Phillips and Mike O’Brian - followed by networking. Met a really interesting woman from South London who works with 18-25 year old black youngsters to train them as youth workers. She had taken seven of them to a black township in Soweto. She was saying how extraordinary it was to have to explain to black youngsters from London what apartheid actually was. Fantastic mission and eye opener. Very impressed with her and invited her to come to City Hall to talk further.

Labels: tfl, trevor phillips

Informal workshop with Transport for London (TfL) looking at traffic modelling in West London to see if you can ram a tram without causing a jam. So far - they can't. One interesting notion came to light. TfL's traffic modelling consultant kept assuring members of the Transport Committee that people made choices that meant once they couldn't use the tram route, they would change the way they drove, where they worked, the mode they travelled, etc, etc.

When I pushed him in saying that if you stick a giant tram down a main road - people actually had no choice but were being thus forced to change their life patterns - he conceded. I wish they could get over some of the pinch points - but I don't see them being able to do it well enough not to ruin their business case for the tram. The business case is shaky anyway and hugely expensive. They ought to take a look at a modern electric trolleybus for one quarter the price. Particularly as the experts said at the formal scrutiny session that the tram would be out of date virtually by the time it was built.

Anyway - it was a really useful meeting and the TfL director of the project is really working hard to try and get this through. In the end, if the Mayor says it goes ahead, it does - regardless of consultation. We'll see. I don't think he will have the money anyway. Ken can faff about for a few years with inquiries and feasibility and on and on. By the time to real funding is needed who knows where we will be…

(To see further details of my view on the tram, have a look at http://www.glalibdems.org.uk/news/178.html).

Labels: tfl

Having attended Conference Committee to iron out any wrinkles in the arrangements for the debate I will be chairing the next day (interesting notions like who's summating the amendments and what is the time split between mover and summator.) It doesn't get more riveting than this. Then off to the Purbeck Suite where I am speaking in the Transport for London (TfL) fringe on traffic in London. Peter Hendy and Bill Hamilton are there for TfL and Lord Bill Bradshaw is there to talk about the Traffic Bill. I am covering congestion charging.

TfL have laid on wine and food - so it's a good bet that the meeting will be well attended. As I walk into the room, my researcher tips me off that TfL are very cross with me as they've seen the speech I gave to the Institute of Civil Engineers the previous Thursday night.

I had merely pointed out that getting information out of TfL was akin to getting blood out of a stone, that they were anal retentive and that I kept coming up against the rubberised walls of TfL Public Relations. Having grabbed a glass of wine - I was ready for the attack. I disarmed them by saying I had heard that they were on the warpath - but that I stood by what I had said.

I suggested to Peter and Bill that I give them some examples of requests for information (details and dates) - so that they can track what happens their end. We will see if this prompts the answers I have been waiting so long for.

Then we got on with the debate which went really well (probably the wine) and the room was packed and there were lots of questions and comments - which always makes for a lively time.

Labels: peter hendy, tfl

Heavy duty Transport Committee meeting which I chair. We had Transport for London, Ealing Council and a couple of learned professors to answer our questions arising from our trip along the route of the West London Tram and from the evidence we had taken from local people and groups.

Whether we will be able to get a consensus on the committee for our report - who knows. I would like to think it possible - if we stick to evidence-based recommendations rather than political rant.

The second half of the session was devoted to the future of rail in London. Fairly gloomy would be my judgement. The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and Network Rail were our witnesses. Didn't sense any great shift in ATOC's position - other than they have learned to talk using the right words. Whether this has a flying chance of translating into more services for us poor Londoners...?

But the real excitement was a two second item as the committee agreed the terms of reference for a scrutiny on parking enforcement in London. With a couple of amendments this went through - and all media hell broke loose.

With all the reports in the press of unfairness, wayward clampers, overzealous wardens etc, it seems to me a good idea to look at what the truth is - are the reports accurate or exaggerated?

Needless to say the boroughs are concerned that we are looking into their business (and a very good business as far as I can tell) and I haven't heard what Transport for London (TfL) think yet. But what I do know, is that if enforcement has become 'unfair' then ordinary, decent folk start feeling angry and upset that life is becoming impossible - and unfairly so.

And many people who use public transport whenever they can - still at times use a car for journeys that are not covered or possible by public transport. And other journeys are really necessary for the disabled and other vulnerable people.

If parking regulations and enforcement are about resolving traffic problems and keeping proper flows and rationing scarce space - that's great and quite right that money raised from them should be spent on improving traffic and transport in that borough. However if things have gone too far and this has turned into simple revenue raising - it is not alright.

Admittedly, boroughs have an incentive to bring in parking revenue as it is virtually their one funding stream that Gordon Brown and the Treasury cannot nick back. Other profit that a council might make is then deducted from their normal grant from Government - which may be the source of some of these issues.

But we are also looking at the plethora of times and signage, etc, that confuse residents as they pick their way through the minefield as well. No-one is as well-placed as the boroughs to design their own schemes to suit local needs and local people. However, just as we did with trying to look at the myriad of different boroughs approaches to Blue Badge holders - so we hope to be able to help flag up some issues for the boroughs to then hopefully work on.

Labels: tfl

An early start to Mayor's Question Time as Ken has to leave for Moscow at 10.50am.

He starts in good form - but as the thrust of the first question begins to bite suffers his normal deterioration in humour. The question itself is about an area in Spittalfields where the proposed route of CrossRail would mean building a ventilation and emergency shaft in the middle of a densely populated area with narrow streets.

Everyone is concerned about the well-being of this community.

Ken finally loses his cool with me. So no change there after his summer break!

We go onto a question about finances. There is a looming half billion hole in the Mayor's budget. I'm highly suspicious that his intention will be to fill as much of it as necessary by digging into Londoners' pockets by increaseing fares and his share of Council Tax bills (called "the precept") in due course.

With Ken having just been re-elected, this is his "safe" period when he feels he can do as he pleases - with one election out of the way and the next a long time away. He informs us that he will make an announcement on his proposed fare increases next Tuesday at his press conference.

We had been informed earlier this morning that he has cancelled his visit to the LibDem conference due to - as his office put it - an 'emergency crisis budget meeting'.

I challenged him on his dishonesty pre-election when he promised time and time again when the fares were raised last January that he would peg the price of tickets to inflation.

This will clearly be broken next week and - given our fares are the highest in the world and the cost of living in London is making it a nightmare for key workers and the like - this is going to make things worse. Let alone making a nonsense of the benefits of the congestion charge in reducing traffic - when the fare hike could send people back into their cars.

I accused him of telling porky-pies and received a rebuke for using such langugate. Mind you, "porky pie" was mild compared to what I would have liked to call him!

We moved onto the 'emergency budget crisis meeting'. Ken laughed (as he does) and said it was simply a meeting with Transport for London to determine how the government's grant would be spent - i.e. which transport projects he would have to drop given that raiding all of our little piggy banks through fares still won't be enough to plug the hole and fund his wish list.

I rest my case - emergency crisis budget meeting was the right terminology.

Labels: ken livingstone, tfl

Off to Uxbridge to meet other members of the London Assembly’s Transport Committee where I am taking them along the entire route of the proposed West London Tram.

The project director from Transport for London and other officers join us too.

Two hours to get to Uxbridge station where we are meeting - but the sun is shining.

I'm not giving a blow by blow account of our four and a half hour exploration by foot and mini-bus of the route - suffice to say a tram would be a wonderful addition and benefit to some areas and some parts of the route. But there are real problems elsewhere with the proposed route.

The real hot spots were plain to see as we stood in Acton High Street - which would be closed to traffic and where the side roads, which would take the displaced traffic, were too tiny really. Along the route there are also questions of the roads being too narrow and the damage to businesses. In total, around 27,000 cars travel the route and would get displaced by the tram.

It’s a very tricky issue – a scheme can be a good idea in general, but if the particular route selected doesn’t work, then that’s that – it shouldn’t go ahead.

Good news is that we have Professor Goodwin - a renowned expert on traffic dispersal – coming to the Transport Committee to give us his views. I hope we can get some real answers to help with judging this balancing act.

Labels: tfl

Very bizarre experience. I had a meeting arranged with a woman who had emailed me. She had discovered, she said, the solution to all the problems of London's buses. She had been unable to get through to the Mayor or Peter Hendy (Director of Surface Transport, Transport for London) – so asked if I would see her and perhaps support her ideas.

I get a fair number of contacts from people who say they have a great transport idea which they can’t get people interested in. I try to see people whenever possible - but they usually give me an idea of their idea - so to speak. She wouldn't. It was a secret.

She had said that she was wary of telling anyone her idea in case they 'stole' it and she wanted to own the commercial rights to her idea. In the end I agreed to a meeting and she came into City Hall to my office.

When we met, the first thing she said was that she had brought along a 'non-disclosure agreement' for me to sign. Whilst I am perfectly happy to keep a confidence if someone in that situation wants to be assured that I won't pass on an idea - I certainly don't believe in elected politicians signing anything that might prevent openness and accountability.

She said that she couldn't tell me her idea without my signing this document. I said that I was sorry that it would seem, therefore, to be a wasted journey on her part. I had been quite clear about this before the meeting was arranged.

It was all quite pleasant and well-behaved - but certainly bizarre. I explained to her that she really did need to see Peter Hendy or Livingstone if she wanted to 'sell' her idea to them and wished her well.

Of course, I am still curious about what the idea is!

Labels: ken livingstone, peter hendy, tfl

The GLA Transport Committee’s meeting about the West London Tram commences and I welcome the groups - some from Southall, Acton, Ealing, Shepherds Bush as well as some general contributors from organisations like GLAD, Transport for All and the London Civic Forum.

Have to say it was one of the most fascinating meetings I have chaired. The groups were there to inform the members of the committee of their concerns so that when we sit in formal committee on 16th September, we will be able to question Transport for London who are coming before us and put to them all the key issues raised.

I gave each speaker five minutes and then the committee asked that person questions. The really key issue is fears from residents about traffic displacement if a new tram gets the go ahead.

In the case of the original Central London congestion charge – Transport for London’s traffic forecasts only showed a very small percentage increase in traffic in the areas surrounding the charging zone. There was a lot of scepticism at the time – even some scare stories that the world as we know it would end in gridlock on 17th February 2002. But, once Congestion Charging started, it turned out that TfL’s model was right.

For the tram, TfL’s models show that where the tram displaces traffic, it could result in increases of traffic of up to 25% in places - so this time the fears of residents may well be right. Even if there is an overall reduction in traffic caused by the tram (which would be good), this level of displacement could cause really serious problems in those areas.

Obviously we will look at the modelling and there will undoubtedly be robust questioning on this issue. But what the 25% increase – if it happens – really means. An increase from one car an hour on average down a road to one and a quarter would mean fears are misplaced. But an increase from a much higher level could cause real problems of bottle-necks, stationary traffic etc.

Clarification on this is absolutely vital, but the information we’ve had so far isn’t clear. Something to pursue in our questioning!

There are also big issues over how the consultation has been carried out, how the tram would integrate with other forms of transport and the impact in particular areas; e.g. the plans currently would involve the closure Acton High Street.

Later this week we are going to examine the Croydon tram and walk/ride the proposed route - from Shepherds Bush right along to Uxbridge.

Labels: tfl

I am chairing a meeting tonight - an informal meeting of the Transport Committee. We are hearing from numerous groups representing a range of views on the Mayor's proposals for the West London Tram (WLT). This is causing huge controversy in West London and the Transport Committee is trying to ensure that all the concerns are heard and addressed by Transport for London who are consulting on the proposed routes.

Labels: tfl

Richard Bourne of Transport 2000 came into see me and have a chat about my intentions with the Committee for the next year and to brief me on Transport 2000's take on this. Obviously, Richard is very keen on the so called 'soft measures' which include cycling and walking. I do my best on these (I am very keen on individualised travel plans myself) but flag up to him what I believe to be the real reason that cycling and walking are not getting their fair share of the booty - no one at Transport for London (in a really high-up position) champions those modes. They don't really care about them. The right words are in the Mayor's transport strategy but the budgets and the speed of progress show the true situation - bottom of the list. The TfL boys only really like the boys toys.........

Labels: tfl

Spent portion of day delivering bundles of leaflets to people who had volunteered to deliver them in their street. The leaflet is about the Muswell Hill to Swiss Cottage bus (603) trial which is drawing to an end and Transport for London will take note of how many representations are made to their Customer Service department. I know - and everyone in Muswell Hill knows - how much we all want a full service - so hopefully TfL will be inundated. Lord knows - they need to be as they and Ken will do everything they can to avoid having to fund a full service. I will campaign until they deliver - which may be for all eternity.

Labels: 603 bus, tfl

War appears to have broken out in Alexandra ward in Haringey about the money I secured from Transport for London (£100,000) which is to be spent mitigating the rat-running following their implementation of traffic lights on Colney Hatch Lane which coincided with a disastrous decision by the local Labour Council to close off Grosvenor Road. Residents have spent two years agreeing two options to go forward to an agreed area for consultation. One of the options closes further roads - the other is for general traffic calming but no closures. Some local residents have organised a public meeting to raise the ante on this.

There was a lot of heated temper in the room where three hundred had gathered - traffic measures always have a high attendance. I am not personally in favour of road closures - particularly when they are sticking plaster rather than holistic solutions - and the feeling of the room was for Option 1 - the calming. However, the organisers were
encouraging residents to vote against both - which although fine in principal - may result in the anti closure vote being split. That is also an option - which will send Haringey back to the drawing board - which is fine unless TfL withdraw the money as it has been on the table for nearly three years now.

I think the residents should now be left alone to vote as they see fit on the options on offer. The options are a long way from perfect, but there are two real problems. Firstly, Haringey Labour have refused to put any money into the project, only the TfL money is on the table and it isn't enough to do a really good job. Secondly, there are just too many cars, used too often and going too fast - which is why I spend so much of my time campaigning for better public transport - it's the only way we will ever get people out of their cars. If they haven't got a viable alternative - they have no other choice.

Labels: tfl

Meeting with my new Vice-Chair of Transport Committee, Roger Evans. I think he will be more helpful as my Vice-Chair than his predecessor who never turned up to a 'Chair's Planning Meeting' except once last year - to make trouble. We discuss some priorities for the Committee for the year - obvious ones like PPP not working (understatement!), Congestion Charging and holding Transport for London to account. I have my own list of other scrutinies I want to do - but will also seek suggestions from all of the committee members and the public. Good ideas are always welcome.

Labels: tfl