London TravelWatch challenges London mayoral candidates to put transport users first

05 February 2020

London TravelWatch has today challenged London’s Mayoral candidates to put transport users first as they prepare their manifestos, by drawing on its six key transport user priorities* to improve the passenger experience in the capital ahead of the Mayoral elections on 7 May.

The independent passenger watchdog is seeking several outcomes under each of the six priorities. These include:

• Making buses faster, by addressing congestion and giving buses priority
• Ensuring London’s streets and pavements are level and clear of obstacles like A-Boards
• Securing delay repay compensation as standard after 15 minutes on the Tube, Overground and National Rail
• Ensuring better public transport access to London’s airports
• Bringing in better instant communication with passengers via social media in times of travel disruption
• The extension of contactless payments to all stations including London Airports

London TravelWatch Director, Emma Gibson commented: ‘The Mayor has a huge influence on our transport system and transport is likely to be a big theme in the Mayoral elections and beyond. Our six transport priorities are based on what transport users are telling us that they want and many of them could be brought in cheaply and implemented quickly.  We hope to see the priorities we have identified reflected in the Mayoral manifestos.’

London TravelWatch is seeking to discuss the priorities in more detail with the prospective mayoral candidates from all the major parties as they draft their manifestos and will be sending a copy to key politicians, transport operators, transport user groups and organisations focusing on accessibility. The transport users priorities leaflet has also been published on the London TravelWatch website with some background information on each topic. The aim is that this will help the public as they question their would-be representatives on the doorsteps this spring.

Further information

• London TravelWatch is the official watchdog representing the interests of transport users in and around London, and independent of the transport operators and government. London TravelWatch is sponsored and funded by the London Assembly, part of the Greater London Authority.
• *The six key priorities are:
  • Accessible and equal – London’s transport network should be accessible and open to all
  • Value for money – transport across all modes should represent good value for money
  • Safe and healthy – transport users in London must be and feel safe at all times
  • Invest and innovate – London’s transport network requires investment and innovation to meet growing demand
  • Inform and communicate – accurate and timely information must be available across multiple channels throughout a journey
  • Joined up and accountable – the industry will work together when things go wrong to get passengers to their destination
• Follow London TravelWatch on Twitter and YouTube. For more information, please contact the London TravelWatch press office on 020 3176 5941 or 07734 055494.