Canary wharf and the london mayor election

Q: How would you improve transport to Canary Wharf?

Brian Paddick: I have already had talks with Tube Lines about the upgrades of the Jubilee Line signalling. The DLR is upgrading to allow the operation of three-car trains between Bank and Lewisham in 2009.

I will work closely with Tube Lines and SERCO to ensure these projects are on time and on budget. Despite the Metronet fiasco, high quality private sector work can deliver better than old-style London Underground.

Regular fast passenger riverboat services, already operating, could be enhanced and must be much more pro-actively promoted around the Wharf. I will move to make fares fully payable by pre-paid Oystercard.

I will also investigate the feasibility of frequent express coach links from Canary Wharf to the City and Paddington to connect with the Heathrow Express.

Boris Johnson: There is severe overcrowding and unacceptable delays across London and especially Canary Wharf.

I will manage the transport network better, deliver value for money and be a forceful advocate for Londoners on the key extensions to DLR and on Crossrail. Londoners must not see the sort of overrunning and mismanagement that occurred with Metronet.

As a keen cyclist, my policies to improve cycle safety, including releasing funding for more than 10,000 cycle racks or 1,250 secure cycle cages, will show we are serious about tackling cycle crime and making cycling an enjoyable alternative to public transport.

Q: Would you reintroduce the tidal flow in the Blackwall Tunnel to alleviate peak hour congestion?

BP: There were real and very serious safety concerns about dangerous overtaking in the tunnel during tidal flow and the police need to be satisfied these have been addressed if it is to be re-introduced. A major fire in the tunnel could close it for months with disastrous consequences.

I propose a £10 congestion charge on the GLA perimeter to reduce the long-distance commuting by car and this may ease congestion.

It has been estimated this charge could raise £3.5billion each year, which would help fund longer and more frequent commuter trains from Kent and Surrey.

BJ: I will reinstate the tidal flow at the Blackwall Tunnel. The decision to scrap it was taken in haste, without any consultation with residents or motorists.

I have studied all the data surrounding this case. The committee’s own report shows the tidal flow system showed better safety ratings than a typical dual carriageway.

There is no sense in the chaos that greets London’s motorists morning and evening in the Blackwall Tunnel and its environs.

Q: Would you consider a new river crossing in east London?

BP: I would take a new look at the proposal for a river crossing at Silvertown, but with the Thames Gateway Bridge still awaiting construction, it is highly unlikely such a major infrastructure project would receive central government funding in the foreseeable future.

Short term, we need to concentrate on the most rapid improvements in rail, Tube and express coach capacity.

BJ: East London undoubtedly needs a new river crossing but I would consult widely with local residents before approving any such scheme.

Q: Manchester Road police station is only open between midday-8pm, Monday to Friday. How would you improve policing here?

BP: With 30 years experience in the police, I know people really value their local police stations.
We’ve lost the plot when it comes to policing in London. We need fully accessible stations open 24 hours, seven days a week.

CCTV has its part to play but I can see a case for a fully operational station in Canary Wharf and would invite the Met to look seriously at establishing that.

BJ: Police stations should be open at all times and not just during business hours. I want to see police back on the streets, liberated from the tyranny of red tape.

We need to strengthen links between the police and local communities and improve accountability. I will encourage borough commanders to hold well-advertised, open monthly meetings.

Q: What steps will you take to ensure the Olympic legacy is not wasted?

BP: When London won the Games we were promised the most amazing legacy: thousands of new jobs and homes, skills and training, increased sports participation, new urban parkland, and the transformation of huge swathes of east London.

To be fully realised, and ensure the legacy lasts beyond 2012, it is essential preparations are put in place now, by ensuring training and skills are targeted at those who need them most.

We need to ensure the 9,000 new homesin the Olympic Park are offered to local people first, and that 50 per cent of them really are affordable. And we need to ensure funding for community sport is
protected at all cost.

BJ: The 2012 Games will be a failure if they are nothing more than two sporting festivals. They should massively speed up regeneration in east London, and leave a lasting housing, sporting facility, skills, jobs, access and transport legacy.

If elected I will become a member of the Olympic Board, and will insist upon proper financial controls and transparency. But I will also protect the London taxpayer.
There can be no increase in the Mayoral precept for the Games.

Q: When you visit the area what issues will you focus on?

BP: The theme of my first Mayoral term will be “power to the people in their own localities”.
I have visited the area and will continue to do so, to listen to what people want. Transport and crime are clearly key issues but I need to learn more from all of you.

BJ: The main issues affecting Canary Wharf are the same for all London: the need for a public transport system worthy of the highest fares in Europe, more police on the streets making Londoners feel safe, and for those in the area to have the control over planning rather than it being dictated from City Hall.