Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Gunnersbury Overcrowding and the Sky Shuttle Bus | |
Posted by: | Paul Pryce | |
Date/Time: | 28/04/15 09:07:00 |
I believe you are right in saying that this is now primarily a political rather than a engineering issue particularly with regard to the timetable for the introduction of an improved service as opposed to the full service. Boris Johnson forced TfL to accept that a stop should eventually be introduced because it was part of his 2012 manifesto commitments and because the consultation on the matter got the highest response level TfL had ever seen. A lot of people expected some immediate moves to an improved if not full-time service but that didn't happen. From what I'm told Mary Macleod and Angie Bray have been pressing hard for this but have had little success. Even quite limited changes like extending the operation of the Piccadilly line by half an hour on weekday mornings has been rejected even though this probably would reduce pressure on the Piccadilly line at rush hour by encouraging people to travel earlier. The lack of progress is likely to be down to political reasons. Boris is a lame duck Mayor more interested in his parliamentary ambitions and the widespread assumption is that both the sitting MPs won't be around in a fortnight. Why alienate their successors by giving them some good news to deliver to local voters? This will change after the election and once the candidates for London Mayor are decided. They are all likely to make promises about an accelerated timetable for the introduction of the service. If the Mayor and the MPs for the two local constituencies are from the same party it is likely they will work together to deliver some level of improved service. Even if not Brentford and Isleworth and Ealing Central and Acton are two marginal constituencies and both their new MPs will be aware that delivering a significant improvement in the service at Turnham Green before the election after this one may be key to them retaining their seats. |