Boris launches transport manifesto

Boris Johnson launched his transport polices in a hall next to St Pancras station today. Theresa Villiers MP, Shadow Minister for Transport, also spoke and the event was chaired by Bexley Council leader Ian Clement.

The pledge for extra police for Tube and railway stations makes the frontpage headline in the Evening Standard, which has been running a Safer Stations campaign.

Click here to download the report. Key points: 

Put The Commuter First

• By focusing on making traffic flow more smoothly through measures like re-phasing traffic lights, allowing motorcycles in bus lanes and cracking down on utility companies who dig up the roads.
• By re-instating the tidal flow at the Blackwall tunnel and opposing toll charge increases at the Dartford crossing.
• By improving public transport in outer London through orbital bus routes and campaigning for better rail services.

Make Public Transport Safer And More Secure

• By spending less on press officers and more on police officers to patrol the network – increasing their presence on buses and station platforms in outer London.
• By introducing ‘Payback London’, a scheme that will require under-18s who abuse their right to free bus travel to earn it back through community service.
• By cracking down on illegal minicabs.

Tackle Problems With A Fresh Perspective

• By supporting different forms of transport like river services, and renewing traditional forms by commissioning a 21st-century Routemaster with conductors.
• By making London a truly cycle-friendly city through increasing secure cycle parking and introducing a bike-hire scheme.
• Make Transport More Convenient
• By improving the daily commuter experience through better information, and extending the Oyster top-up network.
• By halting the proposed Tube ticket office closures and ensuring there is always a manned ticket office at every station.

Comments

[Tony Makara]

Every one is a winner and what most impresses me is that every single promise can be delivered. Compare this to Livinstone's fantastic claims that jobs generated by the Olympic games will replace the jobs lost over a generation in manufacturing! Boris is showing that he has the pulse of London and knows exactly how to improve life on a day-by-day basis.

[Tony Makara]

Don't forget to watch BBC4 tonight at 21:00 for a documentary on the race for mayor.

[James Cleverly]

Out here in SE London we feel that we have been almost forgotten by transport planners.

It is so refreshing to see a manifesto that considers our needs and puts forward ideas to address them. This will be very popular here and Boris will get a lot of support for it.

Deservedly so.

[TFA Tory]

James Cleverly is today's winner of the Order of the Brown Nose.

[Paul Oakley]

Almost all to be applauded, especially the reinstatement of Routemasters.

Not sure about the "Payback London" idea which is posited on the basis that free travel for under-18s will remain. This is fair enough for jorneys to and from school but why should the taxpayer be subsidising children's fares at all times? Boris should promise to phase out Ken's attempt to buy votes with other peoples' money.

[bexie]

Reinstate the Silvertown Crossing scheme to handle traffic leaving the tunnel approach at blackwall... that would solve the congestion there all together.

[Ranil Jayawardena]

Routemasters will return... excellent!

[Transport expert]

There are some glaring gaps.

1. Fares policy. Tube, bus and taxi fares have risen dramatically under Red Ken. Boris is more concerned with tackling fare evasion.

2. Tube investment and the PPP. Boris just says the 2010 review is a golden opportunity. A new concessionaire to replace Metronet is an urgent priority. Norris promised more late night Tube services. Boris seems to have dropped it.

3. Congestion charge policy. The manifesto is vague and uncommital, pledging reform, i.e. restructuring of charges. Congestion is back to pre-charging levels. It's time for abolition!

4. Improving non-tube rail services. The Overground Network is now run by the Mayor. Boris should commit to re-franchising. He has nothing to say on core services in and out of London other than supporting Crossrail.

5. Buses in central London. Boris focuses on services in Outer London and orbital services. He will not commit to the number of new routemasters he will introduce, presumably because bringing back conductors will be very expensive.

6. Road maintenance, especially on trunk roads. Nothing in the manifesto just a micro-policy on traffic flow in the Blackwall tunnel.

Overall 4 out of 10.

[graeme archer]

we were there this morning; a couple of pledges made by boris which relate to the points above:

- tubes to run later on Fridays and Saturdays;

- voluntary no strike deals with the tube with binding arbitration on pay and conditions;

- binding consultation on the abolition of the western extension;

- pick up a bike scheme to encourage cycling;

- bikers to be allowed into bus lanes- fantastic.

Actually there were lots of specific, costed, sensible policies. It was a very sensible and serious presentation. Boris is ready to be mayor and this transport manifesto is a very good reason to vote for him. I'd encourage his team to make as much of it as feasible available on the website and for us to deliver to voters. Ten out of ten!

[Transport expert]

Most of the better content, i.e. substance rather than waffle, is just a rehash of Steve Norris's policies from his last two campaigns. The no strike deal is another example.

[london conservative]

Hmmm.... Did Mr. Johnson come up with these ideas on his own? Seems unlikely to me.

[Nigel C]

Transport Expert- It is unclear if you are supportive of the substantive points or not. You have identified what you perceive as gaps but are you generally supportive of what has been proposed? Please clarify

[Tranport expert]

There is too much waffle and aspirational padding. I support most of the policies as I recognise them from the Norris campaigns. However, introduction of "21st Century routemasters" (an oxymoron) is an expensive gimmick. Conductors are an unnecessary expense and reduced fare evasion will not cover the extra cost. On road and rail, Boris is not helped by Theresa Villiers not having a national policies to help him. Boris would fail an undergraduate transport exam with such lightweight pyramid of piffle. Four out of ten was generous.

[Edison Smith]

'Transport expert ' - The main reason to bring back conductors is not for fare evasion, but so that people feel safer on buses.

Their disappearence over the past generation is another symptom of the receding from our society of authority figures.

We need them back, just like we need more beat bobbies and more male teachers in primary schools.

[Transport expert]

A clippie an authority figure? More like little tinpot dictators with an inferiority complex.

[Malcolm Dunn]

Not suprising that those who seek to rubbish these proposals do not have the courage to do so under their real names.I'd much rather take the advice of people like James Cleverly or Graeme Archer who stand up to be counted and are working hard for a Conservative Mayor of London.

[Transport expert]

But what have Messrs Cleverly and Archer actually contributed on policy? BTW, I have a track record of success in the transport sector, including advising leading Conservatives. I know Cleverly well and do not rate him.

[Malcolm Dunn]

You have a track record of success Transport Expert? Forgive me if I remain sceptical. Successful people do not usually cower behind pseudonyms.
I know Cleverly slightly and rate him quite highly.

[Transport expert]

Yes, a very successful track record. I use a pseudonym because because I have held high office in the Party. I honestly don't care what you think. Your pomposity is risible. God help Iain Dale's new magazine!

[Josh Kane]

Will piccaninnies be allowed on the buses?

[Steve R]

I like Boris, and hope he wins... but I'm fearful that he'll lose the plot.

Routemasters. Sounds popular, but why? Just because people like them? Hardly a good enough reason. Will be glad to see the back of the bendy buses, as they're a fare dodgers haven pretty pointless. I doubt it's going to be easy getting out of the contracts without vast expense to the taxpayer though.

Bus conductors? What you need is trained fighters on the dangerous bus routes, not 1950s style bus conductors. Even the drivers sit behind bullet proof glass and can't venue out for fear of attack. There's no way anyone would be a bus conductor given the amount of risk involved. Seems like a really stupid idea.

[comstock]

"Congestion charge policy. The manifesto is vague and uncommital"

I do get the impression he is trying to face all ways at once on this!

Someone who has just brought a Band B car in good faith will not be pleased with his abolition of the proposed free access.

[Yogi]

What are the missing items?
i) plan for the withdrawal of bendy busses by the end of 2009. They cause enormous congestion and are the chosen vehicle for the fare-dodgers;
ii) immediate abolition of the Western extension of the congestion charge - this is what that increased the congestion in London - I travel on Route 11 and it is obvious;
iii) re-open the planning inquiry process and put a halt to the vandalisation of London by allowing too many tall buildings -they add to more pressure on the transport infrastructure;
iv) abolition of free travel to anyone over the age of 6 - introduce a reduced fare. People should learn to value the resources;
v) introduce pelican crossing at key points - eg. in Front of St Pauls;
vi) in addition to orbital buses, how about some North-South routes eg. Fulham Broadway to Tooting Bdwy along Wandsworth Bridge Road and Trinity Road and Tooting High St.
vii) immediate halt to Road narrowing schemes;
viii) reduce money wasted on cosmetic improvement of tube stations and invest that money on track and signalling improvement - recent actions by Livingstone have been exactly the opposite; and finally
ix) extend the Congestion Charge zone eastwards to cover Whitechapel and Stoke Newington.

[london conservative]

Dirk Hazell is supporting Brian Paddick, in protest at having a Mayoral candidate who isn't fit to be Mayor, the Standard reports:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-mayor/article-23447881-details/Senior+London+Tory+defects+to+support+Paddick+campaign/article.do

[It's Dr Archer, by the way, since we're bandying about stupid claims to pomposity; I still lose.]

"But what have Messrs Cleverly and Archer actually contributed on policy?" -- "transport expert"

Erm, since I don't claim to want anything other than to use my legs and fingers to help get Tories elected, I don't really understand the driver for this snide comment. I do notice that the more people shroud themselves in anonymity, the more sneering their tone seems to become. Ditto their claims to have influenced party policy at a senior level since the late 1800s. "Transport Expert", this makes your unkind attack on Malcolm Dunn, about his (actually non-existent) "pomposity" almost amusing, except, of course, Malcolm is another hard-working Tory who fought and won a council ward for the party.

James Cleverly needs no defence. He is one of the hardest working and most effective Tories in London.

[Carla Thomas]

"He is one of the hardest working and most effective Tories in London."

And one of the smartest. He thought he could be the party's candidate for Mayor. He's been in the TA, has a blog and came third when he ran to be Lewisham's Mayor with 15.8% of the vote.

[jeff]

Why doesn't whoever wrote these transport policies for the can't-be-bothered-to-think-it-through-or-remember-it one, run for Mayor? They seem to know what they're talking about.

[G Hidalgo]

Johnson is on the right track, but he should not pull back from abolition of stealth Tax/money grubbing schemes that are the mark of incompetents who think problems are solved with money; instead of WORK well done by people with a professional viewpoint and able to look after money that does not belong to them; our money.
Taxing everything they do not personally like is insane behaviour on both Livingston and Paddick, the mark of Labour and Liberal-Democrats for 3 decades.