Kicking off the action, RMT London Taxi Branch will be holding a demonstration outside the headquarters of TFL Windsor house Victoria Street SW1 between 2-4pm on Wed 9 November to highlight complaints over the poor treatment, bad policies and contempt that the Taxi/private hire office have shown towards the RMT taxi branch and the trade in general.

Those complaints will be registered directly with the Mayor’s Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy.

Later in the day, RMT taxi members will be playing a leading role in a wider demonstration involving taxi drivers from other taxi organisations in Trafalgar Square at 4pm.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“From pedicabs to the abuse of ranks by minicabs and the whole fiasco of the Olympics lanes, the licensed taxi trade in London is under an unprecedented attack and that’s why RMT members in the industry are working for maximum unity to defend jobs, safety and the quality of service to the public.

“RMT will ensure that the future of the taxi trade in London is a major political issue in the run up to next year’s Mayoral election and Wednesday’s action will kick start that political campaign.”

Popular website Teen Today (http://www.teentoday.co.uk/) have signed up to this year’s campaign asking young Londoners to come up with a road safety distraction slogan. The teen who comes up with the best slogan will win a ‘distraction date’ along with two friends with Rizzle Kicks, who recently dominated the charts with a number one and a number eight single in the same week. The band are kindly donating their time to support the campaign for free.

Teenagers are a vulnerable road user group. Last year the number of teenagers killed or seriously injured on London roads fell 14 per cent to 258 compared to 301 in 2009. Since 2000 the figure has fallen by 62 per cent. Despite this steady improvement, the Mayor and TfL are committed to raising awareness of the dangers when using the roads.

Last year stars including Wretch 32, Tinie Tempah and Eliza Doolittle recorded video clips free of charge which they then uploaded onto their social media sites. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXBMf1-_yJ4&feature=relmfu

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: “Every single death on London’s roads is a tragedy, and teenagers are less experienced and more at risk than any other age group in the capital. So while the number of deaths and injuries is falling, we are determined to drive it down further, and get the message out to our youngsters to take extra care.”

Rizzle Kicks said: “We can relate to the message of getting distracted on the roads, that’s why we’ve decided to support the campaign. The teen road safety campaign is important to us and we’re happy to support it through this competition.”

Lilli Matson, Head of Delivery Planning, in Better Routes and Places at TfL said: “The on-going fall in casualties shows that TfL’s teen road safety campaign has really been making a difference, however we know that our work is far from done. It is easy to become distracted on the road, but it is vital that teenagers pay careful attention when using them. With the start of the new academic year, we look forward to continuing our campaign, this time by emphasising the importance of avoiding distractions on the road to the capital’s young people.”

An Early Day Motion sponsored by RMT Parliamentary Convenor John McDonnell (pictured), is pulling in political support from MP’s across the area served by FGW and beyond.

This Wednesday (28 September) , RMT campaigners led by Assistant General Secretary Pat Sikorski, will be leafleting the 5.46 out of Exeter St David’s, handing out postcards and signing up passenger support for the campaign to save the First Great Western catering services from this cynical attempt by First Group to undermine them in the drive for profits.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“It is shocking that greedy train operators, already rubbing their hands at the prospect of an inflation-busting increase in fares in January, are still cutting corners on the quality of passenger service wherever they think they can get away with it. Passengers pay a hefty price to travel on the early FGW services and this attempt to cut the breakfast service by stealth is a spiteful and cynical move by the company that tells us all we need to know about rail privatisation.

“We are demanding that First Great Western give a binding assurance that they will halt the attack on catering services on the early trains and will maintain and develop catering facilities on all services that they are running. With First Group recording UK rail operating profits of £108.7million, up from £88.3million on 2010, there is no excuse for this outrageous penny-pinching.”

The initiatives, announced on World Environmental Health Day, are part of the London Clean Air Fund financed by the Department for Transport at the Mayor’s request, which could reduce levels of PM₁₀ – a pollutant coming mostly from traffic emissions – by between 10 and 20 per cent where applied.

Air quality modelling shows that the vast majority of London already meets the European Commission limit value for annual average PM₁₀, but there are some local hot spots identified as being ‘at risk’ of exceeding limits. The European Commission recently confirmed to the UK government that the Mayor’s plans to reduce PM₁₀pollution by a third by 2015 – including the work of the Clean Air Fund – has reduced the threat of hefty fines.

The latest developments include:

• Expansion of green infrastructure programme – the unveiling of designs for a Green Wall at Edgware Road (Bakerloo line) Tube station, which is due to be in place by November, and plans for around 500 new street trees and shrubs will be planted in the next few months, subject to suitable planting conditions, including on Park Lane, Upper Thames Street, Western Avenue (A40), Old Kent Road (A2), Brixton Road (A23), Woolwich Flyover (rear of Tunnel Ave)
• Launch of business best practice guides – Transport for London (TfL) has called on business to cut their emissions following the launch of best practice guides – these will encourage walking and cycling especially within central London organisations and includes a Clean Air Fund financed trial of electric pool bikes designed to give staff extra pedal power and cut down on unnecessary car journeys;
• Dust suppressants trial will be expanded in October at Marylebone Road, Victoria Embankment and Park Lane.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “This is a great example of how we are trying to put the best of the village into the city and work together to create cleaner air for London, and with this latest set of innovations, our assault on pollution – especially near to the busiest roads – is continuing apace.

“Improving quality of life and greening the Capital go hand-in-hand, and these fantastic initiatives are vital steps in the right direction.”

Studies across Europe and the USA have shown the potential of vegetation, including trees and plants, to trap PM₁₀. TfL is currently introducing a range of green infrastructure measures to help improve local air pollution. This work involves the trial of green walls and screens in addition to the 50 6ft planted towers, tree and shrub planting at PM₁₀ hotspots. From early November a green wall is due to be installed at Edgware Road Tube station on the Bakerloo line, adjacent to Marylebone Road, around 180m² of vegetation will cover the wall. It will be planted with a mixture of evergreen and perennial plants which have been carefully selected to trap PM₁₀ and known to survive in a roadside environment. 

Ahead of launching its best practice guides, TfL has been working with around 120 businesses located within PM₁₀ hotspots including the National Union of Students and Cartwright Pickard Architects. The guides will provide further information on how businesses can encourage staff to walk and cycle more both as part of their commute but also travel to and from business meetings.  As part of this programme TfL has the use of 12 electric pool bikes provided by Trek, which are being trialled by selected businesses to provide an alternative means of travel for business meetings.  TfL is also working in partnership with the Central YMCA who are providing workplace activator training, which promotes walking by staff, helping organisations to help relieve congestion as well as improve air quality.

Robin Gargrave, Director of Innovation and Development at Central YMCA, said: “Central YMCA are delighted to be working with TfL to help get London’s workforce more active. Active transport in the form of walking will contribute to individual health, employee productivity and improved air quality. Driven by the belief that everyone has the right to access the health benefits of physical activity, I believe that the CYMCA ‘Workplace Activator’ model which trains a cohort of employees to support their colleagues to take up and make walking a habitual method of getting around London, in tandem with the Mayor’s clean air programme can support organisations in reducing their environmental impact.”

The Clean Air Fund measures will be used flexibly where PM₁₀ levels are highest, allowing for the fact that London’s pollution levels can be weather dependent and influenced by pollution from outside the Capital.

Garrett Emmerson, Chief Operating Officer at TfL, said: “Work to increase the green infrastructure will rapidly increase as planting for the green wall at Edgware Road Tube station and a number of trees and shrubs along PM₁₀ hotspots gets underway in November. Much work has also been done engaging with businesses to encourage them to consider more sustainable practices and provide support on introducing greener ways of working.

“We are beginning to implement a number of projects from the Clean Air Fund now and Londoners are likely to start noticing these. These are measures we can introduce to target local PM₁₀ hotspots and put in place fairly quickly and build on our continuing work to improve air quality across London.”

The Clean Air Fund will fund the following initiatives:

• A team of five eco-marshals will be visiting taxi ranks in pollution hot spots across the Capital to reduce engine idling time for taxis and minicabs whilst promoting eco-driving courses designed to reduce emissions, as well as save cabbies money through efficient driving techniques;
• A no-idling campaign to encourage drivers to switch off their engines when stationary;
• The expansion of a successful ‘dust suppressants’ trial;
• Trials of green walls and screens and additional tree and shrub planting;
• The installation of diesel particulate filters to buses on selected routes running through central London; and
• A programme of engagement with businesses to promote sustainable travel and reduce their air quality impact.

In addition, action is being taken to deliver a permanent legacy of cleaner air right across the Capital. This includes the first ever age limit for black cabs, tighter standards for the Low Emission Zone, cleaner buses, including the New Bus for London and an expanded bike hire scheme.

Following the publication of Boris Johnson’s bus, tube, tram and rail fare increases today Ken Livingstone said,

”London already has some of the highest fares in the world, but instead of putting squeezed Londoners first, Boris Johnson is sticking to further stealth-taxes on fares even as he argues for tax cuts for the rich.

“These fare rises are absolutely staggering. Under Boris Johnson the price of a single bus fare will be 56 per cent higher, a huge attack on ordinary Londoners and right across the board fares are soaring.

”Under the Tories, Londoners are less well off with every day that passes.
 
”Fares will be a central choice in next May’s election and in the coming weeks I will set out a fairer fares plan that puts Londoners first.”

Val Shawcross AM said:

“This decision by Boris Johnson to raise fares again is hugely damaging to millions of Londoners and will now be one of the central issues in the election campaign.

‘With Ken, Labour will propose a fairer package and aim to put Londoners first after four Tory years of indiscriminately squeezing the great majority of Londoners, from the suburbs to central London.”

Today’s announcement by Boris Johnson means:

Single bus ticket up 56%
·        was 90p in 2008
·        will be £1.40 in 2012
Costing Londoners £260 a year more

Weekly bus and tram pass up 47%
·        was £13.00 in 2008
·        will be £19.10 in 2012
Costing Londoners £317 a year more

Weekly zone 1-2 Travel Card up 23%
·        Was £24.20 in 2008
·        Will be £29.80 in 2012
Costing Londoners £291 a year more

Weekly zone 1-4 Travel Card up 23%
·        was £34.60 in 2008
·        will be £42.60 in 2012
Costing Londoners  £416 a year more     

Mayor confirms fares increase for 2012 to support unprecedented £12billion investment in London’s transport network

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today confirmed that from January 2012 fares on London’s Tubes, Buses, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Trams will rise by the level set out two years ago in Transport for London’s (TfL) Business Plan. This will maintain essential day to day public transport services and help continue record investment in London’s extensive transport network, which is experiencing surging passenger demand. All free and concessionary travel for older people, students, Veterans and disabled Londoners has been protected in full, which means that 40 per cent of bus passengers will continue to travel free or at a substantial concessionary rate.

From 2 January 2012, fares on TfL’s services will rise by an average of RPI + 2 per cent, the assumption outlined in TfL’s Business Plan in October 2009. Based on July’s RPI figure of 5 per cent, this represents an average 7 per cent fare increase across TfL services and Oyster pay as you go. Within this average there will be some TfL fares that go up less than 7 per cent, and some slightly more either due to small increments in rounding or because they are fares involving National Rail services but every effort has been made to ensure that this is distributed as evenly as possible across individual fares.

Following the Mayor’s successful campaign last year to protect Government contribution to TfL’s funding, unprecedented investment in London’s transport network will continue totalling £12billion over the Mayor’s four year term. This is an increase from £8billion investment from the previous administration.

The current investment programme includes upgrades to the Tube, now carrying a record 1.1billion passengers a year, delivery of Crossrail, and the maintenance of London’s frequent, extensive, reliable and accessible bus network, which is now carrying almost 2.3billion passengers a year – more than any other time since records began in the 1960’s. Further extensive improvements have also been made on the DLR and London Overground, both of which are also experiencing record ridership. Investment is vital for the transport network to continue to develop and improve and to meet future demand, which is set to grow yet further.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Despite some of the toughest economic times in living memory, I have secured unprecedented levels of investment for London’s transport network totalling £12billion over my four year term of office. Not since the days of our Victorian forefathers has there been improvements of this scale which includes upgrades and capacity increases ahead of 2012 and beyond to Crossrail. At the same time, we are focusing as never before on providing value for public money by committing to find significant savings of £7.6billion at TfL, over two thirds of which have now been secured. 

“Income from fares is vital to ensure the on-going health of London’s transport network, keeping services running for the billions of passengers who rely on them day in, day out. This is a fares package that continues my aim to put Transport for London’s finances on a steady footing, moving us away from the boom and bust approach undertaken by my predecessor when we saw a succession of draconian increases and knee-jerk, unaffordable pre-election freezes.

“This year, as Londoners begin to experience the benefits of that investment through more frequent and reliable journeys, I am also once again able to protect all free and concessionary travel for people who rely on public transport most, including older people, disabled veterans and those on lower incomes.

“I understand that any increase in tough times is difficult. This is a package that has sought to balance the needs of today’s passengers whilst ensuring we continue apace with plans to overhaul London’s transport system in the face of unprecedented demand.”

• Over 150,000 customers benefit from CC Auto Pay
  Over 3 million journeys made using CC Auto Pay
  Save £1 a day
  Easier, simpler payment method
  Never again worry about forgetting to pay 

CC Auto Pay was introduced in January 2011 and provides a simple, easy way for drivers to automatically pay the Congestion Charge with customers getting a £1 discount from the £10 daily charge at the same time. Drivers who register will only ever be charged for the days they travel within the zone and charges will be automatically deducted from their nominated debit or credit card.

Transport for London (TfL) launched CC Auto Pay accounts on 4 January, with pre-registration available from November 2010.  Since the launch of CC Auto Pay over 3 million payments have been processed for over 200,000 vehicles registered to the 150,000 accounts now set up for CC Auto Pay.

TfL’s Director of Congestion Charging, Nick Fairholme, said: “The benefits of CC Auto Pay are self evident and we are delighted that so many people have signed up for accounts. Drivers who do so are saving money and safe in the knowledge that they will never be fined for forgetting to pay.”

To register for a CC Auto Pay account drivers will need a credit or debit card and will have to pay a £10 annual registration fee for each vehicle on the account.  Motorists can register for a CC Auto Pay account at www.cclondon.com

The agreement follows six months of constructive discussions with union representatives, and will allow LU to meet the demands of extended services in the most efficient way.

In return for agreeing to these temporary changes to existing working arrangements during the Games, all train drivers employed by LU on 26 July 2012 will receive a one-off payment of £500. In addition, shifts of a certain duration or which finish after 01:30hrs will attract extra payments. The change of working arrangements and rewards are separate to the ongoing discussions on pay which LU and the unions are engaged in.

LU’s Managing Director, Mike Brown, said: “This agreement is a good deal for London Underground, our drivers and those thousands of customers who will be attending the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games. LU is committed to ensuring that the train service we provide contributes to the successful operation of the Games and I am pleased that we and the unions have been able to engage in constructive dialogue to reach this agreement.”

Following an investigation into the McNulty Report by the TSSA, it was today revealed that 3 stations in East London could lose all their staff.

The McNulty Report was published on the 19^th May 2011 and was commissioned by the Government to look into ways to provide more value for money on the rail network.

The TSSA investigation has discovered that in the small print of the report is a recommendation to leave 675 stations across the country without any members of staff. This includes the following stations in East London:

• Limehouse (top left)
  
• Wanstead Park (bottom left)
  
• Woodgrange Park (top right)
  

Local London Assembly member, John Biggssaid: “Leaving stations that carry less than 100 passengers a year without any staff is one thing, but doing the same in London is another thing entirely.”

According to 2009/10 passenger figures Coombe station in Oxfordshire is the least used station with just 42 passengers a year. Using the same figures
Limehouse has 2,570,892 passengers, Wanstead Park has 213,644, and
Woodgrange Park has 171,972.

Biggs continued:“We want to ensure that people continue to use public transport. To do this they need to be safe, and people need to feel safe using them. Getting off the last train at a deserted station can be a frightening experience and we do not want to add to it by having no staff on duty.”

During the whole weekend of 10 and 11 September  river operators including Thames Clippers, City Cruises, Crown River Cruises, Turk Launches, Tate to Tate and Parr’s Circular Services are offering 2-for-1 tickets^* to help visitors make the most of this year’s festival.

The festival is a stunning, free celebration of London and its world-famous waterway and is a key highlight in the city’s cultural calendar.  Activities take place all over the weekend on the River Thames, the riverside, walkways, roads, bridges, docks and open spaces from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge and beyond.

London River Services’ piers will be operating throughout the weekend, helping to provide fast and picturesque journeys along the river, passing the London Eye, The Royal Festival Hall and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre along the way.

London’s river services will operate normally throughout the weekend.

Andy Griffiths, Head of London River Services, said: “With a whole host of activities around the river this weekend for both Londoners and visitors alike, there is never a better time to enjoy the Thames Festival than from a scheduled River Bus or River Tour service. Our special 2-for-1 ticket* offer and clearer passenger information should make it a great time for all.”

The £48m project to provide step-free facilities at Green Park Tube station has been completed ahead of schedule and under budget by Tube Lines and London Underground. Passengers with restricted mobility, as well as people with heavy luggage or buggies, are now able to use the new lifts at Green Park Tube station to access the Piccadilly, Victoria and Jubilee line platforms. Other work includes new flooring, ceiling, lighting, tiling and signage in the ticket hall plus new entrances and lift lobbies.

During the 2012 Games Green Park will be a key station as it will enable customers to change onto the Jubilee line for access to the Olympic Park, Wembley and North Greenwich. Green Park is also an interchange for travellers heading to Heathrow airport and other key transport hubs such as St.Pancras International rail station.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “It is great news that passengers using Green Park every day can now take advantage of the huge improvements that have been made there. Next year it will be a very important part of the plan to help millions of Londoners and visitors to our great city get around during the Games. We want to make the links into the Olympic venues as strong as possible and the ease of passage between them as smooth as possible.”

The major upgrade of Green Park station also includes a new canopy and a new staircase on the south side of Piccadilly, public space improvements outside the station and beautiful artwork integral to the station buildings.

Jon Lamonte, Senior Transport for London Director, said: “This is a busy station, popular with visitors to central London and will be an important link to the Olympic and Paralympic venues. Tube Lines and London Underground have worked tirelessly, day and night, to deliver improvements at Green Park station ahead of schedule and well below budget.”

63 Tube stations are now step-free from street to platform level. By the time of the 2012 Games 65 Tube stations will be step-free. Transport for London has applied for funding from the Government to help make further stations in the capital ‘step free’. Confirmation of whether that funding might be granted is expected within the next month.

Art on the Underground has commissioned artist John Maine RA to create a new artwork which forms part of the station structure for customers to enjoy. The work focuses on the geology of the Portland stone cladding and setting of the station in the natural environment of Green Park.