Jubilee Line should be first to benefit from later opening hours - Caroline Pidgeon

5.00.00pm GMT Wed 17th Mar 2010

The Mayor has been urged to deliver on his pledge to Londoners to extend the tube's opening hours on Friday and Saturday nights, starting with the Jubilee Line, at today's Mayor's Question Time (Wednesday 17th March).

Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, reminded the Mayor of his specific election pledge to extend the opening hours of the whole tube network for one hour later on both Friday and Saturday nights.

Speaking after her question to the Mayor she said:

"The Mayor was elected promising to extend the opening hours of the whole tube network. It is now time he honoured his pledge, starting with the Jubilee Line, where the upgrade works be completed this year.

"Everyone who uses this line has already faced months of inconvenience and many traders that rely on weekend and evening business have been hit for six. If there is one line that deserves to benefit from longer hours it must be the Jubilee Line.

"Longer hours would not only help people get home safely but would be a real boost to the night time economy of many parts of London and help those in North London if the Northern Line early evening closures go ahead as planned.

"I am pleased that the Mayor has at least publicly said that he still wants to extend the hours of the tube, and will consider my proposal for the Jubilee Line."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. A webcast of Caroline Pidgeon's question to the Mayor can be seen at this link (starting at 10.28 am) http://www.london.gov.uk/who-runs-london/mayor/webcasts

2.The Mayor's Transport Manifesto Getting Londoners Moving, published before the 2008 Mayoral elections states:

"I want the Tube to open for one hour later on Friday and Saturday nights, so Londoners can get home safely late at night." (page 5).

"I want to see the Tube open one hour later on Friday and Saturday nights." (page 10).

"It would be major benefit to Londoners if the Tube run one later on Friday and Saturday nights, and we want to see this happen." (page 20)

The Mayor's Transport Manifesto can be accessed at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/davehillblog/2009/apr/24/boris-johnson-transport-manifesto-guardian