HBSOS Questionnaire To London Mayoral Candidates re Hammersmith Bridge
Answers in red
This response is from Nicholas Rogers (Conservative Assembly candidate for South West London)
1. Do you support the full repair of Hammersmith Bridge to allow it to take vehicular traffic again?
a) All traffic, including buses YES NO
b) Traffic limited by weight YES NO
2. If the answer to Q1 was yes, how do you believe this should be funded?
a) By Central Government YES NO
b) By TFL, by Local Government or YES NO The Mayor
c) By a combination YES NO
If you said yes to c) above, please specify those who should pay and the percentage each should contribute
3.
a) Do you support a toll charge to raise necessary capital to repair the bridge? YES NO
If yes, who should pay?
b) Should there be a price cap? YES NO
If yes, what should the price cap be?
Should there be any exemptions?
4. Do you believe that work to stabilise the bridge should start immediately, even before agreement on the funding for the total repair, so that it can be re-opened as soon as possible to pedestrians? YES NO
5. A number of short-term measures to alleviate community hardship have been suggested.
Which of the following do you support?
a) A ferry YES NO
b) A temporary foot bridge YES NO
c) A temporary road bridge YES NO
Road bridge to also take pedestrians and cyclists
6. If you support a ferry
a) What would you see as the acceptable ticket price?
b) Should there be any exemptions?
c) Should the ferry operate the same hours as the underground?
It should be free for use
7. If you are elected
a) What would be your first action in relation to the Bridge?
On the way back from the election count I will set up a meeting at the earliest opportunity with relevant TfL officers to press for more clarity and detail on the timetable for the ferry – at the very least they need to provide assurances it will be in operation for the new school year. They need to provide their project plan and milestones, and outline how they will integrate bus times with the ferry. I will also challenge the operating hours of the ferry; as a shift worker, I know how tough it can be when public transport doesn’t match working hours. Next, I will be in Mayor Shaun Bailey’s office on day one to make sure his plan is implemented from day one and that action especially is taken on a Temporary Road Bridge. I will set up a mailing list for residents to keep them updated regularly on developments to the Bridge that fall within the Assembly Member’s remit.
b) What would be your overall plan for the bridge?
As mentioned above, I support Shaun Bailey’s plan for the bridge. Shaun will:
1. Build a temporary bridge to take vehicle traffic, cyclists and pedestrians.
This would be paid for out of TfL’s cash reserves, currently standing at £1.6 billion.
2. Impose no tolls or charges for any of the crossings – ferry, temporary bridge or fully-repaired bridge
All will be free of charge.
3. Use the London Infrastructure Bank to fund full repairs. Shaun will set up an Infrastructure Bank that will use public and private funds to generate almost £11 billion over three years to pay for this sort of project.
These are all choices that the Mayor of London could make. The current Mayor has decided not to make these choices; Shaun will. More detail on Shaun’s plan – and on the London Infrastructure Bank, which is vital in funding full repairs – is available in the link to his manifesto below.
Thinking more broadly, I want to use my background in writing and implementing emergency plans in the railway industry to push for a full review of London’s emergency planning procedures. There should be thorough and tested contingency plans in place for situations such as the sudden closure of a critical piece of city infrastructure. It should not have come to this.
8. Would you be willing to come to the Bridge and be photographed for our website to demonstrate your commitment to finding a solution? YES NO
Of course, and I have also attach a recent photograph of me at Hammersmith Bridge if this would suffice