please empty your brain below
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In these 'unusual' times I guess that this is closer to reality than we dare to think is likely 😕 Need to keep a watch out to tick-off each one as they are enacted 👀
Kevin Too | 22.10.20 - 7:16 a.m. | #
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They finally deregulate the buses, let the market decide.
Use of TfL services will be restricted to those in possession of a valid (dark blue) British passport.
Hammersmith bridge will be turned into luxury apartments.
Pullman cars introduced onto all TfL rail services.
Drinking Champaign and smoking cigars will be legalized on all TfL services.
Foxhunting legalized on TfL property.
Still Anon | 22.10.20 - 7:50 a.m. | #
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Amazing!
Paint all red (Labour) buses blue (T*ry).
Sell off London Bridge again, according to nursery rhymes sung by my Nanny 50+ years ago, it’s falling down. Lay the blame at the current mayor.
Add PAYG contactless to street lamps.
Matt Smith | 22.10.20 - 8:31 a.m. | #
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It would be a bit less hard to swallow if the private train operating companies weren't given hand-outs with no strings attached.
Chz | 22.10.20 - 8:35 a.m. | #
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"Boris didn't dare introduce when he was in office" - made me think there had been a putsch or whatever the Westminster term is.
Ian | 22.10.20 - 8:41 a.m. | #
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I seem to recall that the Western Extension to the CC Zone "didn't work" and "penalised shopowners".
Southern Heights (Light Railway) | 22.10.20 - 8:51 a.m. | #
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December's are far too close to the truth.
Andrew S | 22.10.20 - 8:54 a.m. | #
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I'm playing devil's advocate here. But I understood that the Western Extension didn't work because the residents' discount actually stimulated more car trips e.g. Notting Hill to the West End, because driving was no more expensive than the tube.
CG | 22.10.20 - 9:14 a.m. | #
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Don't go giving them ideas
Simon | 22.10.20 - 9:14 a.m. | #
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Simon - My thoughts exactly!
I hope Grant is not reading this.
John Simmons | 22.10.20 - 9:26 a.m. | #
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I know it isn't really the point of the post...but, why aren't fares charged on rail replacement buses? I always found that a bit of an oddity.
Mehmet | 22.10.20 - 9:37 a.m. | #
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It is all playing politics and neither side's claims are wholly accurate. However, it does seem that London is the only metropolitan area that does not pay a council tax precept for the general provision of subsidised bus services. A quick survey suggests that no other authority spends more than £30m on bus services, compared to London's £600m or so.
Vectis | 22.10.20 - 9:42 a.m. | #
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The way to deal with this flagrant attack on local democracy is to indicate clearly that it will be paid for at the ballot box. Write to your MPs and to your councils, especially if they are Tory ones. Remember also that it will affect those living beyond the GLC also.
Brian | 22.10.20 - 10:00 a.m. | #
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Be interesting to look back on this post in May and see how much of this actually got proposed...
A fair chunk I would say.
R | 22.10.20 - 10:01 a.m. | #
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To go back to the bad old days of the 1990s, with the Treasury unilaterally changing the amount of cash London Transport got year by year.. *shivers*
James Scantlebury | 22.10.20 - 10:02 a.m. | #
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I suppose the W&C is the ultimate pothole, really!
Mike Newman | Homepage | 22.10.20 - 10:14 a.m. | #
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Perhaps confusingly, the Mayor (and thus TfL) only fund free travel for people between 60 and women's state pension age.
From women's state pension age, free travel is financed by the London Councils.
In England, it is the law that people above women's state pension age get free travel on buses but only a few areas offer non-bus travel or for people from age 60.
In Scotland and Wales, the threshold is 60 but only for buses.
Wolf | 22.10.20 - 10:36 a.m. | #
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Be very careful DG - in these times what is presented as parody on one day, becomes an understatement of reality the next... ;)
Cau1khead | 22.10.20 - 10:43 a.m. | #
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The ‘new cable car to replace Hammersmith Bridge’ line really got me, thanks DG.
Also - is it just me, or does proposing a series of crazy ideas have the effect of making your less crazy ideas seem rather credible, and therefore more likely to gain support?
Sam | 22.10.20 - 10:58 a.m. | #
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Use of TfL services conditional on having a valid health passport. TFL services only to run every other month (ie not when the indefinite bi-monthly firebreak lockdown operates).
Kim | 22.10.20 - 11:05 a.m. | #
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I'd laugh if it wasn't so likely to actually happen.
I am often in the company of Freedom Pass holders and I keep telling them that it'll have been abolished long before I get to 60.
I'm 58 in a few days time and can see that particular prophecy in an even sharper light now!
Cornish Cockney | 22.10.20 - 11:22 a.m. | #
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I was OK with this until you got to the Piccadilly line.
PiccDriver | 22.10.20 - 11:40 a.m. | #
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Remind me, which former mayor insisted in giving free travel in the first place to the 60+ at the time the women's state pension age went up?
And wasn't there a lot of comment at the time that this would be poison pill for his successor which would place an unfair burden on his successor who would have to deal with the cumulative loss of income (as the women's state pension age rose) or the politically unpalatable option of withdrawing it?
And isn't the current Tory mayoral candidate opposed to extending the ULEZ let alone the Congestion Charge Zone ?
Or do I have false memory syndrome ?
Pedantic of Purley | 22.10.20 - 11:43 a.m. | #
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Don't worry PiccDriver,
When potential bidders see that the Piccadilly line is way overdue for a lot of necessary investment that ain't going to come any time soon, they won't want their product associated with it.
Do you remember TfL advertising for launch partners for Crossrail, um I mean the Elizabeth line. That went well didn't it ?
Pedantic of Purley | 22.10.20 - 11:48 a.m. | #
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"Ikea Line Driver" has a nice ring to it!
ADS | Homepage | 22.10.20 - 12:21 p.m. | #
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TfL's financial position in Mr Johnson's last year as mayor, according to the 2015/16 accounts:
> Grant income £3,510.9m
> Surplus before tax £1,005.9m
...and from the 2019/20 accounts:
> Grant income £3,268.1m
> Surplus before tax £778.0m
Oh, look. A lower surplus, almost entirely matched by the reduction in grant income.
The amount being paid in interest is almost the same as it was four years ago.
What has changed this year is the collapse in passenger numbers.
Andrew | 22.10.20 - 1:26 p.m. | #
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As every fool kno, charging the peeps to drive their old jallopies around for business and pleasure, not least to take the sprats to and from their engagements, is just not on. Up sticks they will go and, will leave vacant their large properties. As no other fool will want them, apart from Rackman, they'll be splint into bedsits and filled with riffraff. Local business, short of talent and other low pay peeps, will decide there are better places to try to earn a living. Local councils will experience loss of income whilst demand for free services increase. Net result, chaos. Who thought that was a good idea? Will the peeps of Hillingdon really want to vote for that clueless wind bag again?
B | 22.10.20 - 1:31 p.m. | #
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And what do the 100s of TfL staff paying themselves over £100K a year do to justify their pay?
How much was lost on several failed signalling scheme contracts...
How much has Crossrail gone over budget and still does not work?
How much was lost by giving numerous groups free travel?
How much advertising revenue has been lost by restricting the content of the adverts
And......on a personal note how much was/is lost paying people like me money to do pretty pointless work for TFL (as a contractor) for many years!!!!!
etc etc
Surbitonian | 22.10.20 - 2:27 p.m. | #
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You had me there until I got to May - now that one really is unbelivable
Paul | 22.10.20 - 2:47 p.m. | #
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Surbitonian's moans can clearly be blamed on Mayors from both parties.
Sounds like he has an axe to grind with an organisation that used to waste money funding his own job!
Andy | 22.10.20 - 2:51 p.m. | #
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As an aside, I would like to see ferrymen return to replace Hammersmith Bridge.
R | 22.10.20 - 6:27 p.m. | #
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May 2021 - presumably a consolation prize for not wining the mayoralty - there is a recent precedent when my MP lost his seat and was immediately elevated to the Lords so he could remain a Government minister.
timbo | 22.10.20 - 9:16 p.m. | #
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I do wonder how different these negotiations would have gone off Chris Grayling was still in his former post.
martin | 23.10.20 - 7:01 a.m. | #
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Never understood why people aged 60+ who are not of retirement age should get free travel. It makes no sense. It should have been scrapped a long time ago.
dg writes: Introduced by Boris 8 years ago.
But that aside, this is worrying. It is seeking to undermine devolution. Especially if central government grabs control of TfL. And given their record in trying to get rid of the guards on Southern, do you really think it would go well? A minor change will turn into a multi-year dispute in no time.
Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 23.10.20 - 12:38 p.m. | #
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"deregulated introduction of e-scooters" appears to have already happened in my part of London. Can't see that genie being put back in the bottle.
Chris Cook | 23.10.20 - 7:00 p.m. | #
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