'Mayor's legacy of broken promises on Oyster' - Caroline Pidgeon

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 22nd May 2009

In his first year of office Boris Johnson has broken numerous promises he made to Londoners to improve rail services and has overseen huge delays in extending Oyster to overground train services, says Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson.

Commenting further, Caroline said:

"A year ago Boris Johnson promised to champion the cause of rail passengers by negotiating with Train Operating Companies (TOCs) and delivering Oyster to all overground stations within a year.

"In his transport manifesto he stressed the importance of holding an 'emergency' train summit with the TOCs to ensure that Oyster was available at every train station. Within weeks of being elected he promised that the summit with the TOCs would be held before the summer and that Oyster would be rolled out across the whole London rail network by May 2009.

"One year later the harsh reality is that no train summit has been called and every promise the Mayor has made about Oyster extension has been delayed again and again. Quite frankly Boris Johnson has seen more train delays than Reggie Perrin."

Commenting on the reply Boris Johnson gave at yesterday at Mayor's Question Time, Caroline added:

"This week the Mayor conceded that no permanent contracts have been signed between any TOC and TfL over the extension of Oyster Pay As You Go. In addition, his transport Statement of Intent published this week suggests the rollout of Oyster won't be completed until March 2010.

"As for the Mayor's claim that a deal will be reached with the TOCs by the end of this year, I only hope that this will be the very last delay to the extension of Oyster. However, all the evidence so far is that this is highly unlikely."

Ends

Notes to editors:

1. Boris Johnson promised in his transport manifesto Getting Londoners Moving

"I will fight for rail commuters, and call an emergency summit with Train Operating Companies to demand longer trains, manned stations at night, more frequent services and lower fares." (p 10)

"We will also convene an emergency public summit of all the train operating companies in London and Government representatives, in our first few weeks in City Hall to ensure action is taken to solve chronic overcrowding, the issue of exorbitant pricing and the availability of Oyster at every station." (p 23)

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2009/04/27/Transportmanifesto.pdf

2. Within less than two weeks of becoming Mayor Boris Johnson issued a press statement stating:

"I have committed to holding a summit meeting with the Train Operating Companies and I can confirm that this will happen before the summer. Completing the roll out of Oyster, improvements to services, station security and passenger safety will all be on the agenda as we work together to improve London's rail services." (12.05.08)

http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=16853

In May 2008 the Mayor also stated that Oyster would be extended to all overground rail services by May 2009, see:

http://www.esadvertising.co.uk/media/images/mayor258_5846.pdf

At the People's Question Time held in Bromley on 7.10.08 Boris Johnson then stated that the complete roll-out of Oyster to all overground rail services should be completed by the end of 2009, see:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23583561-details/Oyster+cards+on+all+rail+lines+in+a+year%2C+vows+Boris/article.do

3. On the 21st May 2009, at Mayor's Question Time, Boris Johnson claimed that merely an agreement with the Train Operating Companies would hopefully be reached "by the end of the calendar year." He further stated that only "59 per cent of the infrastructure was in place." A webcast of this Mayor's Question Time can be accessed at:

http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/webcasts.jsp (starting at 53 minutes)

4. On Monday 18th May the Mayor's Transport Strategy - Statement of Intent states:

"Acceptance of Oyster at the all National Rail stations in London within the 2009/10 financial year." (p42)

http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/publications/2009/docs/transport-strategy.pdf